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DO WE CELEBRATE OUR FESTIVALS ON CORRECT DAYS? NO, NOT AT ALL!

By Avtar Krishen Kaul

I was fascinated to see the response to my earlier articles “Do we celebrate our festivals on correct days?†in March, April and May 2001 issues of this esteemed magazine. It is a “live demonstration†of the fact that Kashmiri Pandit community is still alive and vibrating! May God make it realize its goals. Amen!

Since astronomy – whether sidhantic or Grahalaghava or modern - is nothing but astrophysics, it should not be difficult to sift grain from the chaff for any discerning reader, because unlike predictive astrology, astronomy does not leave anything to chance or conjecture. Therefore, I leave it to readers to decide for themselves, after reading these articles, whether we are really celebrating our festivals on correct days or not.

Something about myself: I must digress here a bit and say something about myself as to how I got “into†and “out of†the so called “Hindu†astrology, euphemistically known as Vedic astrology. I was born at my maternal grandfather’s, late Nathji Shastri – Pajnoo—house at Chundapora in Srinagar! I am sure quite a few readers of this magazine must have heard his name since he was the first Kashmiri Pandit to have cleared Shastri from Benaras Hindu University in 19th

century and was a redoubtable astrologer. People would flock to him from far and near since his predictions were said to be quite correct. I was hardly 12 years old when he passed away. However, he left a lot of rare books on astrology, Vedanta, Puranas etc. etc. for me as a legacy. Most of those books were in Sharda script. Being quite young at that stage and not having much interest in Sanskrit, I did not pay any attention to those books then. With the passage of time, while searching for a job, I had to consult a lot of Jyotishis for remedial measures so that I could get a job -- preferably a government one. I felt it at that time that I must also learn this “art†myself as then I could understand the implications of various Yogas and Dasha Bhuktis etc.

Vijayeshwar Nechipatr was the most respected jantri: My maternal grandfather would use invariably the only nechipatr (panchang) available in Kashmir then --- Viajayeshwar in Sharda script, which his Guruji --- the late Gopal Boyoo – would deliver on every “Gora – treyâ€. We would also keep on consulting Hindi version of the same Panchang --- more so for “Rahsiphal†and “Bhadsharwar†etc. since Sharda was a bit difficult for us at that time. My maternal grandfather and great-grandfather etc. must have been using that nechipatr probably from the very first day of its availability since I found later those annual panchangas for at least fifty years available in his library. He used to prepare horoscopes from those very panchangas. I was

so fascinated by Vijayeshwar Jantri that when I bought Rashtriya Panchanga from Kashmir Bookshop in Residency Road for the first time in 1958 and compared the various festivals and the planetary longitudes etc. with those of Vijayeshwar Panchang, I found that there was a lot of difference in the ending moments of tithi, nakshatra etc. besides the planetary longitudes. I did not know the difference between modern astronomy or Grahalaghava or sidhantic calculations and was annoyed that the publishers of Rashtriya Panchang had the hardihood to publish something different from that of Vijayeshwar Panchang!

One day in 1960 I went to consult G. C. Rampal, a famous astrologer, at Needo’s Hotel opposite Polo Ground about my job. He asked me to come after three days. When I went again, he had prepared a chart much different in planetary positions etc. from the one my maternal grandfather had prepared. I thought Mr. Rampal had made a wrong chart but kept quiet out of respect for him. I lost all interest in the predictions he had made, since if the very chart he had prepared for me was “incorrectâ€, how could the predictions be correct.

First shock of my life: Not having secured a job in Kashmir, I shifted to Jammu in early 1963 -- after having cleared Prabhakar, Shastri and M. A. etc. examinations from Kashmir University. I carried very few things with me then -- but the horoscope prepared by my maternal grandfather for me was a prized possession and I could not leave it behind me at Srinagar. Since that horoscope was quite big -- a thick roll – and in Sharda, I had to learn that script as I wanted desperately to understand as to what had been predicted by him about me in that “Zatukâ€.

There in Jammu, I saw for the first time in Pacca Danga the Astrological Magazine by Dr. B. V. Raman and right from that date I have not missed even a single issue of that magazine. I came across one Jamwal Sahib there at a bookshop while buying that magazine and as he also was interested in astrology, we became friends. He was quite well versed in this subject and wanted to see my horoscope. Gladly, I showed to him the same “Zatuk†(horoscope) prepared by my grandfather -- he was able to decipher Sharda script. It took him about half an hour to make some calculations from “Lahiri’s Condensed Ephemeris†that I saw for the first time then. His verdict was, “your planetary positions are incorrectâ€! I was shocked and told him in no uncertain terms

that he must have gone mad to say so since my horoscope had been prepared by none other than the greatest astrologer of Kashmir – Pt. Nathji Shastri!

Jamwal Sahib had heard his name and was really an intelligent and understanding gentleman. He smiled and asked me as to which Jantri my grandfather was using. I told him that it was, of course, Vijayeshwara. He said that it was not the fault of my grandfather but the Jantri he had used for preparing my horoscope. He took out Rashtriya Panchang and also Vijayeshwar for that year – 1963 – and showed to me as to how different the timings of tithi, nakshatra besides the ingress of planets etc. were. When I still insisted that Vijayshwar must be correct and the other one wrong, he took out Lahiri’s Indian Ephemeris for 1963 and showed as to how the Rashtriya Panchanga and that ephemeris tallied exactly! He said that it could not be that both could be incorrect and have same wrong longitudes etc. in every way! I was

immediately reminded of my dilemma with the accuracy of Rashtriya Panchang when I had seen it for the first time and had therefore to stomach silently as to what Jamwalji had to say! But then this set me a-thinking as to what was happening and why. At my residence in Jammu, I compared the chart prepared by Mr. Jamwal with the one prepared by G. C. Rampal – and was surprised to find that both of them tallied exactly! It was thus conclusively proved that Vijayeshwar Panchang was definitely wrong. That was the first shock of my life that we in Kashmir had been using a wrong nechipatr for God knows how long! Since then I lost my faith completely in Vijayeshwar Jantri and though I would purchase it regularly almost every year, but that was more out of a habit and curiosity than anything else.

Still not content with that “explanation†of Jamwalji, I went to him the next day again and asked him as to how the predictions made by my grandfather could come correct if the very panchanga he was using was incorrect. Mr. Jamwal’s simple reply was that my grandfather must have been a real “Rsihi†since he could make correct predictions from incorrect data also whereas in those days (1963) one could not make correct predictions even from correct data! Mr. Jamwal was candid enough to admit that even his own predictions failed quite often, though the calculations made by him were cent per cent accurate.! I re-read the predictions made by Mr. G.C. Rampal, but quite a few of them were much off the mark though the calculations were quite correct as per “Lahiri’s Ephemerisâ€

 

Second shock of my life: Later on during lengthy discussions with Mr. Jamwal I came to know that both Rashtriya Panchang and Lahiri’s Ephemeris were accurate only because they were prepared from “Nautical Almanac†which was published by Greenwich Observatory and could be imported by any good bookseller in India from “Her Majesty’s Stationary Office†in London. That was the second shock of my life that to prepare a correct Panchanga even the Government of India had to import material from “Her Majesty …â€, In spite of being free, we were still not “free†to prepare our own panchanga, though we claimed to the whole world that our sidhantic astronomy

was thousands of years old and most accurate! Obviously, what cannot be cured has to be endured! Mr. Jamwal was the first man to tell me that most probably Vijayeshwar Panchanga was prepared from Grahalaghava and was therefore incorrect.

Too little and too late: My worst fears got confirmed when the same Vijayesshwar Panchang, that my ancestors and even myself---nay the whole Kashmiri Pandit community--- had been holding in such high esteem, declared on page 138 of its 1997-98 edition, “Till today we were giving correct details only of eclipses etc. However, this year we have been able to get the correct ending moments of Tithi, Nakshatra etc. through the courtesy of Shri Priyavrat Sharma of Martand Panchangam. We are therefore giving correct details of Nakshatra etc. now. However, we are giving ending moments of tithis even this year as per Grahalaghava. Though it was incumbent on us to give correct ending moments of Tithis also but we have a competitor Panchang as well. Since that panchanga gives the ending

moments of Tithi etc. on the basis of Grahalaghava, our correct (i.e. as per modern astronomy) ending moments of Tithis would not tally with the same.. In every Kashmiri household our Panchanga is worshipped like a divine book (because it was never correct?!) On comparison with the other Panchanga they would have presumed that our Panchanga was incorrect. We are therefore giving incorrect ending moments to beat the competitionâ€. Have you ever seen such a brazen-faced “confession†anywhere else except in Vijayeshwar Panchang/Jantri? On the one hand they admit that they have been giving wrong ending moments of planetary phenomena etc. for centuries -- from the very inception of their Jantri --- and simultaneously they “pray our indulgence†to continue to bear with such wrong data because they have a competitor panchanga! We had been taking Vijayeshwar as our friend, philosopher and guide in every matter and

every walk of our life and this is what we got in return! We must digest the wrong data because they did not want to lose the sale of their Panchanga! Instead of apologizing to the whole Kashmiri community with folded hands for having been giving them wrong information and thus misguiding them, all they are worried about is the sale of their panchanga! They are also silent as to what Prayashchitam they were doing about having been prescribing wrong Muhurtas and festivals etc. Obviously, the Janmapatris based on Vijayeshwar Jantri also were incorrect and therefore, any patri-melapak based on the same must have been absolutely wrong!That is what is exactly meant by “too little and too lateâ€. (The “confession†page number quoted from the Vijayeshwar Jantri is from its Urdu edition and the page number in its Hindi edition for 1997-98 is perhaps a different one).

I become a “veteran astrologerâ€: However, being out of job, I did not have much to do at Jammu, except for “hunting†for a job. So I literally “devoured voraciously†every book on astrology I could find --- quite a few I got from Srinagar from my grandfather’s library, the rest I purchased from Jammu or by VPP from Delhi, Benaras, Bombay etc. Some of the books were given to me for reading by Mr. Jamwal. Later when I came to Delhi in 1967, and after I got my first job with a private company in April 1967, the first thing I did with my salary was to buy some books on astrology by Dr. B. V. Raman. It was a very sacred job for me to do! To cut a long story short, there is hardly any book

on Indian astrology in original Sanskrit that I have not gone through with a lot of devotion and reverence as if I was reading the Vedas! Some of those books are: Brihat Parashara – both Venkateshwar Press, Mumbai and Master Khelari lal & Sons, Varanasi editions, Brihat Jatakam, Manasagari, Bhav Kutuhalam, Jatak Chandrika, Jataka Parijat, Jataka Pradeep, Phaladipika, Jatak Tattva, Yavana Jatakam, Uttarakalamritam, Prashna Tantra, Prashna Marga, Tazika Neelankanthi, Kheta Kautakam, Cahmatakara Chintamani. and so on and so forth, apart from all the books like Notable Horoscopes, Techniques of Predictive Astrology, Three Hundred Important Combinations, etc. etc. by Dr. B. V. Raman. As I could (and still can) read Urdu also I bought quite a few books published by Devi Dayal & Sons, Jullundur etc.

I must also have “seen†--- consulted ---- hundreds of horoscopes – of my friends, relatives, politicians, rich men, poor men and so on I became well known as an astrologer in Jammu and in Delhi People would flock to me for knowing their future, especially since it was “free of chargesâ€. Very often, my predictions proved correct but more often than not they just fell flat. I could not understand the mystery behind the same and the more failures there were the more books and magazines of astrology I would read, especially since none of the authors in the magazines seemed to be making any predictions which did not come true.. It appeared to me that I was the only one making wrong predictions and I felt ashamed about the same. I thought maybe something was wrong with me! So I learnt Krishnamurti Padhati also but with the same 50 per

cent rate of success! Similarly, I experimented with other Ayanamshas like Ramana Ayamsha, Cyril Fagan Ayanamsha and so on, and then different Dasha Bhukti systems like Ashtotari, Yogini, Kalachakra etc. but the overall tally of the “medals†by one ayanamsha/Dasha Bhukti was hardly any different from that of the other! It became clear to me very late in the day that even the “world famous†astrologers “goofed†--- perhaps more than I did, but then they neither felt sorry for it nor divulged their failures to their clients but bragged only about their “cent per cent rate of successâ€!

My brush with the “Western System†I am usually asked as to why I started publishing my "Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang" when there were already quite a few ephemrides and almanacs in the market. It has in fact an interesting history and I would like to share some of my adventures and misadventures with the readers of this esteemed magazine. It was way back in 1968 when I read an editorial by Dr. B. V. Raman in his Astrological Magazine that Western i.e. the tropical system of Secondary Progressions was quite useless for predictive work and not reliable at all since it had not been propagated by our Vedic Rishis, who adopted only nirayana (sidereal) system. I had the highest regard for him

and believed his every word to be Gospel Truth. I, therefore, vowed to myself to hoist the flag of nirayana system in every nook and corner of the globe. As I had already gone through all the important works on nirayana astrology, to prove that the Western system was useless, I had to learn it first since then and then only could I demonstrate it with practical illustrations as to how unfavourably it compared with nirayana system. With great difficulty, I arranged a lot of books on this system starting with Linda Goodman’s "Sun Signsâ€, Alan Leo's "Casting the Horoscope" and "The Progressed Horoscope" besides books by Evangeline Adams, Lewi Grant, Sepharial, Charles Carter, Julia Parker etc. etc. The first thing I did was to "X-Ray" my own horoscope with a critical view from both tropical and Indian systems. Somehow, it disturbed me to find that the delineations as per the Western

system fitted in more than the Indian system. Even the past events of my life could be timed more precisely and accurately by Secondary Progressions than by Dasha-Bhukti --- whether Ashtottari or Vimshotari or Kalachakra or Yogini, the one used in Kashmir mostly. Brushing it aside as an isolated case that could be an exception rather than the rule, I studied the horoscopes of my friends and relatives to prove the tropical system useless. There also somehow the delineations tallied more exactly with Western system than with Indian. What was more irritating was the fact that the timings of all the major events in their lives like deaths of relatives, accidents, loss of job or new jobs, marriage etc. etc. could be pinpointed more precisely as per Secondary Progressions than through Dasha Bhukti.

Birth of “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang†Having been thus caught on the wrong foot, I was literally at my wit's end! I must say I was at war with myself! How could the nirayana system of predictive astrology, supposed to have been propounded by our Vedic Rishis, get dwarfed in the presence of towering "Western" system supposed to have been propounded by Arabs - Yavanas! However, I could not wish away the facts! I started experimenting with different Ayanamshas again with the pious hope that maybe "X" Ayanamsha would deliver the goods in a better manner than "Y" Ayanamsha! There also, all the Ayanamshas let me down badly as compared to Secondary Progressions! Then I tried Jaimini system, supposedly propounded by Maharshi Jaimini of

â€Poorva-Mimamsaâ€. Even there the "Western" system carried the day. As a last resort, I took refuge in subs and sub-lords of K.P. System but the story was hardly any different! What cannot be cured has to be endured! Because I could not dismiss the success rate of "Western system" and its Secondary Progressions, I thought it better to share my experiences of that system with others. The first requisite for the same was to make a Panchanga of Tropical Planetary positions as well as nirayana planetary positions etc. (a two in one Panchanga!). available to the readers at no extra cost -- which would highlight some important points of that system. Thus was born “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchanga†with the first authentic edition appearing for 1984. I must “confess†that all along the high success rate of predictions as per the “alien†system as compared

to dismal rate of success of my “native†system was rankling me! As if by divine intervention, there appeared an article in the magazine section of “Indian Express†of March 23, 1983. It was titled “The Future of Mrs. G†by Peter Vidal, who was alive then. He had said in that article “The astrological picture with respect to her (Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s) fortunes changes in 1984/85 when Saturn moving through Scorpio, will be conjunct with her natal sun and her progressed sun will be opposite Neptune...Political support and alliances which have supported Mrs. Gandhi in power will start to disintegrate. Double dealing and stab-in-the-back will become more of a reality. The Neptune aspect predisposes involvement in political scandals and suggests the need to institute a tighter check on all aspects of her administration, starting in the autumn of 1984. Mrs. Gandhi will be susceptible to a let down involving people she has trustedâ€.

I checked all the types of Dasha Bhuktis that Mrs. Indira Gandhi would be running in the second half of 1984. They all indicated a glorious period. I cross-checked the results as per other Ayanamshas also but even then there was no difference. I scanned all the vernacular and English language magazines and Panchangas of astrology avidly to see if any nirayana astrologer had anything to say against Mrs. G. No. All of them were of a firm view that she would have a difficult yet glorious future. So I thought that at long last here was a golden opportunity to prove the superiority of nirayana system vis-à-vis the “Western†system. I thus declared boldly on page 63 of my 1984 ephemeris, “With due deference to the author (i.e. Peter Vidal), I do not know whether he knows Dasha-Bhukti system, but after reading these lines, I made it a point this time to cross-check the ‘verdict’ of tropical system with sidereal

system first...the net result being that though she will have a tumultuous period from October 1984 to August 1987, yet she will ride rough shod over these, gaining success ultimatelyâ€.

Indira Gandhi’s assassination was a turning point in my life: Sadly, my nirayana prediction met its Waterloo on October 31, 1984 when Indira Gandhi was actually “stabbed in the back†by “the people she had trustedâ€. I would not have been rattled so much if it had been a normal death for her, but an assassination was something that could be least expected as per “Indian astrologyâ€. What irritated me all the more was as to why such a momentous event had not been foreseen by anyone as per nirayana Dasha Bhuktis whereas a “Videshi†system had hit the bull’s eye before one and a half year of the event! Surprisingly, even after such an earth shaking event had taken place no nirayana astrologer could unravel satisfactorily the

astrological mystery as to what were the pointers to such a happening. I felt so let down by the system supposed to have been propagated by our Rishis that I did not publish my ephemeris for 1985 and 1986 since I could not muster courage to dive deeper into the fundamentals. But then to pacify my bruised ego, with my tongue in the cheeks, I tried to explain the assassination as per Dasha Bhuktis in my 1987 ephemeris--- without, however, carrying conviction even with myself.

I decide to take the bull by the horns: I was left with three options: (1) either to disbelieve predictive astrology completely, or (2) to continue to live in a fool’s paradise by cliff-hanging to a system that had “ditched†me, or (3) to find the real reason of success behind the “alien†system being able to hit the bull’s eye. I could not give up astrology because my personal experience and the prediction by Peter Vidal were overwhelmingly convincing that the “Western†system was more accurate. So I decided to confront the situation head on! Indian culture and Dharma being ingrained in my blood, I could not reconcile to the fact that tropical system could be successful unless it was based on our ancient scriptures including the Vedas. So right from November 1984, I started studying Sidhantic astronomy because

tropical astrology could never be correct unless the tropical astronomy itself was based on our sidhantas. The first work of my study was the “Surya Sidhantaâ€, the fountainhead of Indian sidhantic astronomy, the original Sanskrit edition with “Sudhavarshini†commentary by Sudhakar Dwivedi besides other Hindi and English commentaries etc. I also studied quite a few other sidhantic works like the Vedanga Jyotisha (1300 BC), Aryabhatti, Shishyadhivridhida, Panchasidhantika of Varahamihira (5th century AD), Munjala’s Laghumanasa (10th century AD), Bhaskaracharya’s Sidhanta Shiromani (12th century AD), Grahalaghava (16th century AD) and so on besides quite a few important works of modern astronomy. Going through these books with a toothcomb, I was wonder-struck to find that except for Grahalaghava, not a single work had referred to any so called nirayana Rashichakra. According to these sidhantas, Makara Sankranti was another name of Uttarayana --

Winter Solstice, when the day is the shortest and Mesha Sankranti that of Vishuva., Vernal Equinox, when the day and night are equal. Not being satisfied with Sidhanta granthas, I thought maybe our scriptures have referred to some nirayana Rashichakra. Therefore, I studied with due care all the sacred books of our religion

“Vedic astrology†vis-à-vis “Kaliyugi Jyotish†In this context, I am reproducing below a self-eloquent “Open Letter†titled “Vedic astrology†vis-à-vis “Kaliyugi Jyotish†to the Hindu newspaper which was sent to them for publication in response to some articles/Open Letters by Dr. David Frawley alias “Pandit Vamdev Sastri†and Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet etc. regarding the discussion on Vedas vis-à-vis astrology. I have made some slight amendments in that article keeping in view our Kashmiri festivals etc. It goes as: It is interesting ---though no less amusing--- to find in the “Open Page†of June 18 and July 9 etc. of the “Hindu†that the discussions on the dates of the Vedas involve planets and “Vedic astrology†as well! Since “Pandit Vamadeva Sastri†alias Dr. David Frawley, presently the

President of “American Council of Vedic Astrologers†is actually better known as a “professional Vedic astrologer†than anything else, Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet has thus touched a raw nerve (Open Page – July 9) when she said, “Vedic Astrology is actually a misnomer. It has little to do with the Vedas….The Rigveda is replete with references to what is now considered a tropical zodiac…..To make connection with that ancient (Vedic) culture, we have to leave aside our conditioned preferences and vested interests..†Now a days, however, a different “cultural identity†of Indians as a whole as “Vedic astrologers†is being presented to the world especially by such overseas “Vamadevasâ€. It is an open secret that they persuaded Indian “Jyotishis†to declare the nirayana hocus-pocus as “Vedic astrology†since that would get them more overseas clients and thus more money and “lecture trips†across the oceans. Our

“Varahamihiras†and “Parasharas†fell for this ploy hook, line and sinker as there is nothing more rewarding financially as well as status-wise than practicing “Vedic astrology†these days!

“Vedic astrology†and “Vedic (nirayana) Panchangas†have done immense harm to Hindu Dharma: It is this very “Vedic astrology†than anything else that has done more harm to that very “Vedic Dharma†which the “Vedic Astrologers†are trying to “save†since it has compelled us through its “nirayana panchangas†to celebrate all our festivals and religious ceremonies, the main cultural identity of any nation, on wrong days and muhurtas. I am therefore going to analyze this issue of the so called nirayana zodiacs and “Vedic astrology†thoroughly since it has denuded us of our actual cultural heritage and simultaneously hypnotized us with such pithy statements as “Vedic astrology is recognized throughout the world now so much so that even Western astrologers are practicing itâ€. As it is this very “Vedic astrology†that is going to be taught in our

Universities, it needs a thorough spectroscopic analysis.

First of all my credentials: Though I am not laying any claims to being a “Rishiâ€, however, I have personally studied all the four Vedas in original “archaic†Sanskrit with their different “Bhashyasâ€, besides the various Brahmanas like Shatapatha, Aitreya, Tatiriya etc. etc. – again, with their Bhashyas! I have studied, (in original Sanskrit!) about two hundred all the important and “not so important†Upanishads as well! I have also gone through both the epics viz. the Valmiki Ramayana and the Mahabharata --- in chaste Sanskrit and from cover to cover besides Adhyatma Ramayana, Ramacharitamanasa etc. etc.! There is hardly any Purana including the Bhagavata, Shivapurana, Vishnu, Narada, Devi, Varaha, Matsya and Vishnudharmotara etc. etc. that I have not gone through in original

Sanskrit! Besides, I am neither an “imported†nor a self-styled but a real Kashmiri Pandit -- a Saraswat Brahmin, born in the line of those very Rishis who practiced penance on the banks of the Saraswati thousands of years back. Vedic Richas are therefore in my genes! I do not have any honorific titles like “Sastri†but I possess actually a hard earned certificate of having cleared Shastri examination (Honours in Sanskrti) from Kashmir University --- though I do not wear it around my neck! I have also studied exhaustively all the ancient astronomical works like the Vedanga Jyotisha, Surya Sidhanta, Panchasidhantika, etc. etc. I was not a born renegade against the established traditions. On the other hand, I was initially “hypnotized†by “Vedic astrology†and “nirayana panchangas†myself and there is hardly any “text-book†of astrology either in Sanskrit or Urdu or English or Hindi that I have not studied with due reverence, as if

I was studying the Vedas! However, later I woke to the real situation, thanks to my good past karma. Fortunately, my parents have named me as a namesake of “Krishen†---so that people repeat His name even unwittingly (like Ajamil of the Bhagavata!) --- though I never claim that I am His Incarnation! Thus my credentials are impeccable in all respects!

There is no astrology in the Vedas and no nirayana zodiac in any of the Puranas etc. either! Having established my credentials thus, WITH ALL THE EMPHASIS AT MY COMMAND, I CAN DECLARE IT WITHOUT ANY HESITATION THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PREDECTIVE ASTROLGY --- MUCH LESS A SO CALLED NIRAYANA ASTROLOGY --- IN ANY OF THE VEDAS, UPANISHADAS OR BRAHMANAS. There are, however, some odd references to predictive astrology in some of the Puranas and the epics and therefore calling it as really a post-Vedic astrology is quite correct. There is a rider there also, and that is that THE SO CALLED NIRAYANA RASHICHAKRA DOES NOT EXIST NOT ONLY IN ANY OF THE VEDAS, BRAHMANAS, UPANISHADAS BUT EVEN IN THE MANUMSRITI, PURANAS AND EPICS ETC.. ETC. since according to these scriptures Makara Sankranti/Pongal is nothing but a

synonym of Uttarayana (the shortest day of the year) i.e Winter Solstice and Vishuva (Vernal Equinox) another name of Mesha Sankranti and so on. There is absolutely no indication that any sankranti can have any independent existence to the exclusion of its being linked with the relevant season as is evident by the names of Vedic months viz. Tapah, Tapasya, Madhu, Madhava etc.!

Jyotish as a Vedanga does not mean astrology but astronomy: Jyotish has been described as a “Vedanga†– a limb of the Vedic lore. Actually in ancient times, as in modern India, proper timings –Muhurtas---with reference to proper seasons, months and tithi etc. were, and still are, a must for conducting any ritual like Yajnya (sacrifice) or ceremonies like Yajnyopavita (sacred threading), marriage etc. It was also necessary to ascertain in advance the dates of eclipses etc. It was for this purpose that astronomical works were necessary for determining these geographical/astronomical phenomena. These very astronomical works come under “Jyotishaâ€, the earliest example being that of Vedanga Jyotisha, which literally means “Jyotisha as a limb of the Vedasâ€. It is also known as Rik Jyotisham

and explains the method of determining the lunar and solar years besides the seasons and “Malamasa†etc. It has absolutely nothing to do with any predictive astrology since excepting for the sun and moon, all the other planets are conspicuous by their absence. Similarly, Yajuh Jyotish verse 4 says that astronomical calculations (and not astrological predictions!) are the crown jewel of the Vedanga! To crown it all, there are no rashis i.e. astrological signs like Mesha (Aries), Vrisha (Taurus) etc. in the Vedanga Jyotisha, whether Rik-Jyotisha or Yajur-Jyotisham. Same is the case with all the later works like the Surya Sidhanta etc. Though there are rashis and planets in the Surya Sidhanta, but they are only for calculating the phenomena of tithi, nakshatra etc. and not for predictive purposes. As late as 12th century AD, Bhaskaracharya has said in his “Sidhanta Shiromani†1/9, “The Vedas advise us to perform rituals/sacrifices etc.. Those

need proper timings. As only astronomical works enable us to determine those proper timings, that is why Jyotisha is known as a Vedangaâ€. Thus Jyotish as Vedanga does not mean predictive astrologhy at all as per the Vedaanga Jhyotisha or the Puranas or the sidhantas, but only the science of calculating phenomena correctly for deciding the timings of Yajnyas etc.

Astrological predictions could never be correct in the past. Till a few centuries back, before the advent of modern astronomy into India i.e. till about sixteenth century AD, Indian Panchangas were prepared either from the Surya Sidhanta or some other similar astronomical work like Aryabhati or Khanda Khadyaka or Grahalaghava etc. etc. None of the Sidhantas agree with one another least of all with the modern astronomy--- Aryabhati gives different fundamental astronomical arguments from that of the Surya Sidhanta and the latter does not tally with any other Sidhanta. Besides, all the “Vedic astrologers†including the minister for astrology, now admit that none of the fundamental arguments of these Sidhantas or Karna Granthas like Graha Laghava is correct. Astrological predictions are made from

horoscopes which were prepared from Panchangas before the advent of computers, which is a very recent phenomenon. Thus when the fundamental parameters on which these Panchangas were prepared in ancient India till a few centuries back were incorrect, how could the astrological predictions based on such incorrect horoscopes be correct? It is therefore height of ignorance and double standards to say that our ancestors in the ancient past made correct predictions from horoscopes though they made incorrect Panchangas from which those horoscopes were prepared! It is like saying that in spite of the mathematical calculations and/or data of a mathematical question being incorrect, the result (answer) will be correct! That is like having the cake and eating it as well! Hence “Vedic astrology†cannot be supposed to have been taught by our Vedic Rishis.

Lunar months also are related to a Sayana Rashichakra: As per these very scriptures and sidhantas lunar months, including intercalary months, also were decided on the basis of seasonal years i.e. tropical Rashichakra (Rigveda 1/25/8 and Shatapatha Br. 3/2/1/27 and 6/3/3) In this connection, I refer to page No.559-560 of a Hindi translation of the relevant Mantra of the Rigveda, by Shivnath Ahitagni and Pandit Shankardatt Shastri, based on the Bhashya of Sayanacharya. It was originally published in 1904 AD, exactly a hundred years back. It says very clearly that a solar year ranges from the ingress of the sun into Sayana i.e Tropical Aries to another ingress of tropical Aries i.e. from one Vernal Equinox to another and the thirteenth lunar month is to be calculated accordingly It is to be noted that

it has specifically pointed out that the solar year has to be a tropical one and not a sidereal one for deciding the adhikamasa i.e. excess month/intercalation. This alone should settle the issue once for all that all the festivals and adhika/kshyaya masas etc. are to be decided as per the tropical and not some Lahiri or Ramana year, much less a so called sidereal zodiac! And that is why Vaishakha and not Shravana was an adhika-masa (inter-calary month) in 2004.

No commentator has referred to any nirayana zodiac: I have also gone through the Bhashyas of Shankaracharya on all the eleven Upanishads besides the Brahmasutras and the Gita – Prasthan Trayee as it is called --- and in none of those Bhashyas there is any reference to any PREDICTIVE ASTROLOGY much less to the so called nirayana zodiac! Same is the case with Shri Gyaneshwar ji in his Jnyaneshwari etc.

No ancient astronomical work is referring to any nirayana zodiac even by mistake: All our astronomical works starting from the Vedanga Jyotisha (c1300 BC), Paitamaha Sidhanta; Vasishtha sidhanta; Paulisha Sidhanta; the Surya Sidhanta (4th century AD), Aryabhati, Vateshwara sidhanta, Shishyadhivridhida and even Bhaskaracharya’s Sidhantashiromani of twelfth century AD refer to nothing but a tropical Rashichakra since they have said unequivocally that Makara Sankranti and Uttarayana (Winter Solstice) or Mesha Sankranti and Vishuva (Vernal Equinox) are synonyms! Same is the case with Varahamihira’s Panchasidhantika and Brihatsamhita----no mention of any ayanamsha or any nirayana rashichakra anywhere!

Historical proofs also are against nirayana zodiac: Then coming to historical facts, there are innumerable references to nothing but a Sayana Rashichakra in the monumental work of Alberuni’s India --- a travelogue of eleventh century AD --- translated by Dr. Edward C. Sachau and reprinted by S. Chand and Co. in India in 1964. It does not at all mention even by mistake any so called nirayana rashichakra being used in India then. e.g., page 2 of Vol II (Chapter XLIX) of this work states that the lunar New Year of Hejira 422 (Shaka-kala 953) started on February 25, 1031, a Thursday, and it could be possible only if a Sayana Rashichakra was used as Lahiri or Raman or Kharegat or Fagan (though by then unborn!) or any other nirayana Lunar New year would fall only on March 26, 1031 -- exactly a month later

as is happening these days. (For further details, please see my Shri Krishen Ephemeris for 2001 -- page 92) Akbarnama by Abul-Fazl (Vol II, page 78) published by Asiatic Society, Calcutta, says that India celebrated a solar New Year on 28th Rab-as-Sani. 963 (Hejira) i.e. March 11, 1556 AD “at 10 hrs. 40 minutes of the astronomical night†---- and that was almost the exact time of Vernal Equinox (Meshadi / Vaishakhi) even as per modern astronomy, instead of some Lahiri Mesha Sankranti that would have taken place on March 27, 1556, at 21h 19 minutes -- a gap of 17 days --- the difference of (an unborn) Lahiri Ayanamsha then! Similarly, “The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to India—1615 to 19—as narrated in his journals and correspondence†reprinted by Asian Publishers, Jullundur in 1993 has this to say, “11-3-1616: The Naorose began in the evening. It is a custom of solemnizing the Hindu new year….it commences on the day when the sun in his

splendour moves to Aries …when money and other things are given away in presentsâ€. It is to be noted that March 11, 1616--- the day of Vernal Equinox --- is of Julian Calendar. Here also, Lahiri Meshadi would take place 18 days later!

27 (or 28 if we include Abhijita as well) nakshatra divisions also are related to a sayana zodiac: The nakshatra divisions – which are actually entirely unrelated to constellations off similar names and more often known by “Lunar mansions†or --- as by Alberuni --- “lunar stationsâ€-- have been related to only a seasonal zodiac by all the Puranas and sidhantas. Even the monk-commentator Anandabodha Yati, who flourished around 12th/13th century AD, in his Tatparya Prakasha Commentary of the “Yogavasishtha Maharamayana†has referred to tithi, nakshatras and (Vishkumbha, Preeti etc.) yogas as related to only a seasonal i.e. tropical zodiac vide Nirvan. Prakran, 1st half, chapter 81!

Manjula (or Munjala) was the first Indian astronomer to advise precessional corrections: It must also be put on record here that Munjala (most probably of North India – Kashmir), in his “Laghumanasa†has given “Dhruvakas†for Shaka 854 (932 AD) as per the mean elements of planets with reference to the works of Surya Sidhanta, Aryabhattiya etc. but then he had advised that right from Shaka 444 (522 A.D.) one arc-minute per year is to be added to the same to make them tally with the actual positions of the sun, moon and planets. Thus by adding 6° 50’ to the mean elements of not only the sun but to all the other planets and the moon on March 10, 932 AD, he has arrived at the longitudes which tally exactly with the mean elements (Sayana, of course!) derived as per modern astronomy! ALBERUNI

HAS HAILED THIS WORK – WHICH HE HAS REFERRED TO AS “PUNJALA’S SMALL MANASA†AS A MILESTONE IN INDIAN ASTRONOMY SINCE IT HAD HIT THE BULL’S EYE BY CORRECTING THE ERRORS THAT HAD BEEN DETECTED IN WORKS LIKE THE SURYA SIDHANTA ETC.. In the same verse (1/5) wherein he has given the corrections for “Ayanachalana†Munjala has also made it very clear that the mean longitudes etc. are to be measured from “uttara-vishuvat†--- Vernal Equinox – and not from any so called “180° opposite to Chitra†or from Revati or “Lahiri†or “Ramana†Star etc.! Alberuni has also referred to “Vishnudharmottara Purana†times without number as being an authority for deciding the fasts and festivals in India then, and not so surprisingly, in this work, Uttarayana is said to be an incarnation of Vishnu (I-56/17). As per the same work again, days and nights are equal on Mesha and Tula Sankrantis! (I-73/9).

The credit for discovering “Ayanachalana†- Precession of Equinoxes -- first of all in India goes to Munjala: It is thus conclusively proved that Munjala (or Manjula, as he is sometimes known) had discovered the “Ayanachalana†--- precession of Equinoxes --- before any other astronomer in India had referred to it so unambiguously!

Utpala of Kahsmir had used tropical longitudes in tenth century as per Alberuni: On page 366 of his travelogue, Alberuni says, “No doubt, also, other people have perceived the same or a similar difference by means of the calculation of the noon-shadow. Therefore, as this observation was already much known, Utpala of Kashmir has taken this theory from Punjala.†It means that having found the discrepancy between the observed equinoxes and the calculated ones of the Surya Sidhanta etc. Utpala also had followed the observed positions instead of some imaginary ones arrived at by calculations from the sidhantas.

Prashastidhara of Kashmir had written a commentary on Laghumanasa which had become famous and was used for making Panchangas from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari Kripa Shankar Shukla, M.A., D.Litt., F.N.A.Sc. former Head, Department of Mathematics and Astronomy, Lucknow University, has written a critical commentary on Laghmanasa, published by Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, in 1990. He has consulted all the various manuscripts and commentaries on the same and this is what he has to say on page 50, under the heading “Popularity of Laghumanasaâ€: “The Laghumanasa was written in A. D. 932 A.D. and it soon attained its status as an important work on astronomy. It is not known where exactly its author Manjula lived and wrote this work but there is no doubt that within a few years the merit of this

work was established and its fame reached Kashmir and only 26 years after its composition, the Kashmirean astronomer Prasastidhara regarded it as a suitable work for writing a commentary on it. Writes he (Prasastidhara) in his commentary: ‘Since this work is small, written with no less effort, accurate and universal, and computations based on it accord with observation, I deem it a great honour in writing a commentary on it.’ Prasastidhara’s commentary explained the text and demonstrated the working of the rules by solving typical problems in astronomy and continued to be used for a long time. The use of this commentary was not confined to Kashmir alone. Its fame reached as far south as Gangai-konda-Colapuram (in south Tamil Nadu). The celebrated commentator Suryadeva Yajva who belonged to that place has mentioned it and recommended its use….†On page 18 K. S. Shukla has said, “That Prasastidhara belonged to Kashmir is confirmed by the

testimony of the commentator Suryadeva Yajva (1248 AD). It appears that after Utpala had carried the new methods of sidhantic astronomy, as adumbrated by Munjala in his Laghumanasa, to Kashmir, Prasastidhara, a veteran astronomer, wrote a commentary on the same so that it could be easily understood by his local and other Panchangamakers. It is, therefore, a matter of shame that Kashmiri Panchangakars (besides other panchanga-makers of India) resorted to Grahalaghava bidding a good-bye to Prasastidhara’s commentary on Laghumanasa which was used by everybody from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari till a few centuries back.

Abhinavgupt’s Tantraloka should serve as a beacon of light for Kashmiri Pandits (besides other yogis and Shaiva scholars) as a whole especially for Kashmiri Panchangamakers: Kashmir was regarded as the most advanced part of India in Shaivism. Much of the credit for the same goes to the great Shaivite, Acharya Abhinavgupt, who was a master-yogi also. His prayers like “Ati bheeshana Katu-Bhashana†and “Vyapta Charachara Bhava Vishesham†etc. are still reverberating in my ears as these were recited by my maternal grandfather almost ever day during “Thokur pooza†(morning worship). “Tantralokaâ€, an internationally acclaimed monumental work of eight volumes by the same Acharya was published originally by Ranabir Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Jammu and later reprinted by Rashtriya Sanskrit

Vidyapeeth in Delhi. It also contains a commentary by Jayaratha. As everybody knows, the revered Acharya flourished in the tenth century AD and was thus a contemporary of Manjula and also Prasastidhara as well as Utpala. Jayaratha, the commentator of Tantraloka, lived around 12th century AD. To crown it all, Tantraloka (6/114-200) of Abhinavgupta contains explicit references that Makara Sankranti is another name of Winter Solstice and Mesha Sankranti that of Vernal Equinox and so on. If any doubt could be expressed even in the least about the original references, Jayaratha has laid those to rest completely.

Publishing so called nirayana Kashmiri and other Jantris/panchangas is an affront to Acharya Abhinavgupt: Nobody knowing even a bit of astronomy can say that the so called (though actually non-existent) nirayana zodiac and (the real) sayana zodiac was the same during the Acharya’s time because. as we shall see shortly, right from 285 AD, there would be a difference of one day every seventy two years in actual solar sankranti like Makara or Mesha etc. and Lahiri Makar or Mesha Sankranti. In the tenth century the nirayana snakrantis would have thus been ahead by about eight days, and days and nights on such Mesha sankrantis could never be equal nor could such Lahiri Makar Sankrantis be the shortest day of the year etc. It is therefore extremely tragic that just for the filth of lucre, some vested

interests are defending the indefensible that the Panchanga/Jantri based on Grahalaghava that Kashmiri Pandits, nay the entire Hindu society as a whole, have been compelled to use for centuries was the most accurate one when actually it has been against the set rules laid down by even the Acharya for deciding solar sankrantis and thereby lunar months.

Even the present preceptor-cum-guru-cum-mentor of “Vijayeshwar Jantri†does not believe in nirayana but only sayana longitudes to be used for horoscopes and muhurtas etc. as per Dharmashastras and sidhantas etc. As seen already. Vijayeshwar Jantri/Panchang is being now published “under the guidance†of Shri Priyavrat Sharma of Martand Panchangam. This is what Shri Sharma had said on page 52/53 of his Martand Panchanga for 1992-93, “There is a cumulative difference of 23/24 days over the last about 1500 years as compared to the seasons. Our festivals have therefore advanced by about 24 days vis-à-vis the relevant seasons. This difference will go on increasing day by day. To rectify this problem of 23/24 days should be the main concern of our panchangamakers. This cumulative difference is

because of Precession of Equinoxesâ€. It means thus a time will come when it will be Shishir ritu (Winter) actually while we will be doing the (nirayana) “sankalpa†of Grishma ritu (Summer). About the so called Chitra Ayanamsha which Martand Panchangam and Vijayeshwar Jantri (besides almost 99.9% of other Panchangas including the Rashtriya Panchanga) are using at present, Prof Priyarat Sharma has said on page 235 of his Hindi work “Grahayog Aur Dampatya Jeevanâ€, “Chitra Ayanamsha is neither as per the Shastras nor as per modern astronomy……Chitrapaksha longitudes are as per an unreal and fictitious---First point of Aries. They can therefore never give correct results in predictive astrology….It is not possible to give up this ayanamsha now because the astrologers etc. will have to admit clearly that whatever predictions they had been making, the muhurtas they had been preparing and also the matching of horoscopes they were doing in the

past was all baseless and they will have to throw such panchangas and horoscopes into dustbinâ€. Needless to reiterate here that “Chitrapaksha†is another name of “Lahiri†Ayanamsha though it has nothing to do with the star Chitra.

“Medicine should not be wasted even if the patient dies because the doctor has prescribed wrong medicineâ€. The sumum-bonum of this discourse of Shri Priyavrat Sharma, the mentor of Vijayeshwar Jantri/Panchang, is that we should continue to follow wrong panchangas even if we have to celebrate marriages in Shradhapaksha and vice versa or to celebrate Pitramavasya when it is actually Dipavali because otherwise we will have to throw all our earlier horoscopes and panchangas etc. into dustbin, which will be a financial loss for Panchangamakers and matchmakers etc. In other words, how does it matter if the patient dies because the doctor had prescribed some wrong medicine deliberately. Other patients should continue to take the remnants of that very medicine so that the “doctor sahib†does not

suffer a financial loss! That is what is meant by the greed for the filth of lucre!

Ganesha Daivagya put the cart before the horse: Surprisingly, Ganesha Daivagya in sixteenth century, via his “Grahalaghava†put the cart before the horse by advising to deduct one arc minute per year from Shaka 444 onwards from the tropical longitudes --- exactly opposite to what Munjala had advised more than six hundred years before him. Our Panchanga-makers, especially the Kashmiri “Jantri-makers†adopted this method without “using their brains†and caring two hoots for Acharya Abhinavgupta’s, astronomer Prasastidhar’s and the injunctions of the Vedas because of the ease it afforded them in calculating planetary longitudes etc. --- thus landing the whole of “Rishi Bhoomi†--- particularly “Kashyapmar†in unmanageable problems which were aggravated infinitely by “Vedic

astrologers†and other vested interests later by following the same so called “nirayana rashichakraâ€. Thus, Graha Laghava, instead of being a valuable astronomical work, is actually the worst culprit for spreading the nirayana mess and thereby adharma in this country. And that is what Vijayeshwar Jantri (besides other nahcangas) had been following till 1997-98 and Brahmana Mahamandal is following even today.

Surya Sidhanta ayanamsha verses are interpolations: It is said that planetary longitudes were taken to be “nirayana†because there are references to Ayanamsha in the Surya Sidhanta. Though there are supposed to be three verses in the Surya Sidhanta (Tri. Pr. Adh. 6-12) “proclaiming†ayanamsha corrections, however, all the “Vedic astrologers†themselves know and declare openly that they are interpolations, inserted after Munjala’s Laghumanasa had come into vogue. If, on the other hand, we accept those verses as belonging to the original Surya Sidhanta then these days we have to subtract (instead of adding) about 24° from the so called nirayana longitudes of the Surya Sidhanta to make them sayana! A ridiculous and ludicrous situation!

Even the Ayanamsha names indicate that no Ayanamsha exists at all! These days the most common Ayanamshas are Lahiri, (there cannot be any “Chitra Ayanamsha†at all, which it is euphemistically called! --- see my ephemeris for 2001) Ramana, Kharegat and Cyril Fagan Ayanamsha. All these “Ayanamsha creators†were born in the twentieth century and most of them also died in the same century. Since they “invented†the Ayanamshas of their names, it is but obvious that no ayanamsha could have predated them e.g., Lahiri Ayanamsha could not have been “bornâ€: or “invented†prior to Lahiri; Ramana Ayanamsha could not have been “invented†or born before Dr. B. V. Raman and so on. In other words, they gave birth to “nirayana zodiacs†and being imaginary, those zodiacs can not outlive

their “creatorsâ€!

No “Vedic astrology†book suggests any Ayanamsha: These days whenever any horoscope or event is discussed as per “Vedic astrologyâ€, the “Vedic astrologer†has to clarify compulsorily as to what Ayanamsha he is using, whether Lahiri or Ramana or any other, even though he may not have to declare as to which “text book†he is referring to! Surprisingly, none of the ancient “text books†like Brihat Jatakam, Brihat Parashari, Mansagari, Phaladeepika or Jataka Parijata etc mentions having used any Ayanamsha whatsoever. It is thus in itself a proof that all those “text books†of “Vedic astrology†are based on a Sayana zodiac, because if any Ayanamsha would have existed then they would certainly have referred to the same!

Parashara could never have written any nirayana astrology books: Brihat Parashari is said to be the “bible†of “Vedic astrologersâ€. Though there are about half a dozen versions of this work, none agreeing with the other, yet all are said to have been “dictated†by Maharshi Parashara, the father of Vedavyasa. Let us pretend to agree that all the versions have actually been â€written†by Parashara himself. Maharshi Parashara has also recited/narrated the “Vishnupuranaâ€. The eighth Adhyaya in Second Amsha of this Purana is full of astronomical/geographical references. It states clearly in verses 27 to 31 and then again in verses 65 to 74 that the days and nights are equal on both the Vishuvas (Equinoxes), which are known as Mesha and Tula Sankrantis. ….Day is the shortest on Makara

Sankranti, also known as Uttarayana and longest on Karkata Sankranti, also known as Dakshinayanaâ€. If Maharshi Parashara has really narrated some Brihat Parashari to Maitreya, he would certainly not have done so on the basis of some imaginary nirayana rashichakra as against the natural seasonal one because in his time there was a difference of at least 50 degrees between the “nirayana†and sayana longitudes, as we shall shortly see.

Bhagwan Ram could not have been born in a nirayana rashichakra when Maharshi Valmiki and Adhyatma Ramayana and Goswami Tulsidas etc. refer only to a seasonal calendar: The Valmiki Ramayaha (1/13/1-18) says that after six “Ritus†passed and “Vasanta†came again….â€. Similarly, Adhyatma Ramayana, 1/3-14 says, “It was the month of Madhuâ€. This can happen only when we write an obituary to all the nirayana rashichakras as otherwise the Vedic month Madhu and Vasanta Ritu have no meaning in any nirayana Rashichakra! Obviously, these days we are celebrating Rama Navmi when it is neither Madhu nor Vasanta, thanks to the untiring efforts of these “Vedic astrologers†of propagating hundreds of nirayana Rashichakras!

To say that Bhagwan Krishen was born in some nirayana Rashichakra is to disbelieve all the Puranas and the epics: Vedavyasa’s Srimad Bhagvata (5/21/3-6) says the same thing what Maharshi Parashar had said, “The days and nights are equal on Mesha and Tula Sankrantis†and (5/22/3-5) â€The sun passes through twelve Rashis (signs) related to six seasonsâ€. Then in 12/11/29-45 it links the various months like Madhu etc. to lunar months. Obviously, when we presume that Bhagwan Krishen was born on Shravana (Bhadra as per Gauna-mana) Krishna Ashtami in rainy season about 5000 years back, it can be possible only if we cremate the nirayana Rashichakras once for all as otherwise the seasons and nirayana rashichakras can never go together!

“Back-calculating†Shri Ram’s and Shri Krishen’s horoscopes is the latest gimmick of “Vedic Astrologersâ€, and also a proof of their bankruptcy of scriptural and astronomical knowledge: A new bee has entered the bonnet of these “Vedic Astrologers†of late! They want to prove the astrological worthiness of the divine incarnations by back calculating their horoscopes! Dr. Vartak Padmakar Vishnu, MBBS, has published a book named “Vastav Ramayana†in Marathi. His article was published in March 1984 (page259) of the Astrological Magazine under the heading “The Exact Birth Date of Sri Ramaâ€.. According to him Shri Rama was born on Tuesday, December 4, 7323 BC though as per the same author in the same article Mahabharata war had started on October 16, 5561 BC. He has made a fantastic

statement on page 260 of the same issue of AM, (i) “Today (i.e. 1979 when he had written that book) the sun is 246° on 23 December. The equinoxes move back by 50.2 seconds per year. 7323 + 1979 = 9302. 9302 X 50.2 = 129°.71122. 246 + 129=375. 375-360=15°. So 15° will be the position of the sun on 23rd December 7323 BC. This comes in Aries and near the exalted place of the sun 10°. So whatever Valmiki has written is absolutely correctâ€. Then on page 306 he says, (ii) â€Amavasya was on 25th November 7323 BC. 353° is the zone of Revati where Amavasya took place. Hence the next month was Chaitra and on its 9th day there could have been Punarvasu Nakshatra, the date being 4th December 7323 BC. Hence Rama’s birth-date is fixed as 4th December 7323 BCâ€. Now let us analyze his first statement: He has not clarified anywhere as to what precession of equinoxes has to do with the actual longitude of the sun. If he means Ayanamsha, then he has to

adjust it in the longitudes of all the planets and not only in that of the sun. Actually all the modern astronomical calculations are done on the basis of Julian days/years and the duration of the same is 365.25 mean solar days per year whereas the duration of a tropical year is 365.242195 days. The difference between a tropical solar year and a Julian year is thus -.007805 days. Between December 23, 7323 BC and December 23, 1979 AD, there are 7322+1979 = 9301 years. The difference in Julian and tropical years thus comes to 9301 X .007805 = 72.59557315 days. As the sun moves 360° in about 365.242195 days the movement in these days would be (360/365.242195) X 72.59557315 = 71.55363611 degrees. Sun entered Capricorn (Sayana) on December 22, 1979 at 16-39 IST. On December 23, 1979 it was about 271° (Sayana). Hence the tropical longitude of the sun on December 23, 7323 BC could have been 271° - 71.5 = 199.5° On December 4 it should have been 199.5 minus

19 = 179.5°. Add to it the differential ten degrees of Gregorian and Julian Era. The longitude becomes 189.5°. The Ephemeris Time (TDT) difference on Decmber 23, 1979 was hardly one minute but in 7323 BC it was about 3 days. It would thus be about 192.5°. The actual “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on that date was 103° 40’. Thus if Dr. Vartak wanted to calculate the so called (though unborn Lahiri) nirayana longitudes of planets at that distant date, all he had to do was to add 103.7° to their sayana longitudes and the same would be (for sun) 193..5° + 103.7° = 297°. We have also to take into account all the secular variations. Besides, the length of days and years in the past ten thousand years has never been constant. There is difference in the Obliquity of the Ecliptic as well. The actual planetary position on December 4, 7323 BC at 12 Noon LMT at Ayodhya, as per modern astronomy, after making approximate corrections of about 250000 seconds

of time for ET is: Sun 201°, Moon 313°, Mercury 174°, Venus 242°, Mars 282°, Jupiter 336° ®, Saturn 132° and True Rahu 63° “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on that date being +103°.7, Lahiri longitudes are: Sun 305°, Moon 57°, Mercury 278°, Venus 346°, Mars 25°, Jupiter 80° ®, Saturn 236°, True Rahu 167° These tally almost exactly with the longitudes etc. derived by A. P. Singh in December 1984 AM and as confirmed by me in my ephemeris for 1988 – page 85. In those calculations, ET corrections have not been taken into account. Therefore, the longitudes arrived at by Dr. Vartak are neither nirayana, nor sayana nor based either on modern astronomy or on any sidhanta. Besides, as you can see, not even a single condition of Maharshi Valmiki gets fulfilled. So Dr. Vartak is taking everybody for a ride and “Vedic Astrologers†are endorsing his “great and sincere efforts†in that direction!

No two “Vedic Astrologers†agree even on the date of brith of Shri Rama: However, an “astronomer royal of Kashmir†C.L Nagri, had this to say in “Koshur Samacharâ€, page 21 of August 2001 issue, “It was during this period that Sri Ram was born. February 22-23, 7323 BC is the probable epoch….The complete chart thus prepared on these lines confirms four exaltations and one own house placement, excluding Rahu and Ketu, besides other conditions like Madhu month, mid-day birth etc. All this has worked out strictly in tune with the descriptions made in the Ramayana…â€. On the one hand Dr. Vartak finds the planetary position in tune with that of Ramayana if Sri Rama was born on December 4, 7323 but “astronomer royal†C. L. Nagri finds the conditions fulfilled if Sri Rama was born on

February 22-23 of the same year---earlier by ten months exactly! What a confusion! Let us see the planetary position on February 22, 7323 BC at 12 Noon LMT of Ayodhya also after making the necessary corrections for ET:: The Sayana position is: Sun 279°, Moon 156°, Mercury 300°, Venus 252°, Mars 208°, Jupiter 314°, Saturn 121° ®, True Rahu 81° “almighty†Lahiri planetary positions on that date, with an Ayanamsha of +103°.7 are: Sun 23°, Moon 260°, Mercury 44°, Venus 355°, Mars 312°, Jupiter 57°, Saturn 224° ®, True Rahu 184°. It is quite clear that even the “astronomer royal†of Kashmir has given wrong information about the birth date of Sri Rama and neither nirayana nor sayana longitudes on that date tally with the conditions that Valmiki had laid

So called nirayana zodiacs themselves confirm their non-existence in the past: To put succinctly, Ayanamsha means the difference in degrees between the Sayana and so called nirayana longitudes of a planet. As per these “Vedic Astrologers†Lahiri Ayanamsha in 285 AD was zero. The average rate of precession is 50â€.29 per year. Therefore, as per these very “Vedic Astrologersâ€, there is a change of one degree in Ayanamsha every 72 years. As we know, the sun moves about one degree a day. In other words, the nirayana and sayana sankrantis, and therefore, solar longitudes will differ from one another by that number of days as the differential years are the multiples of 72 years since 285 AD. e.g. these days i.e. 2004 it will be (2004-285) = 1719/72 1719/72 = 23.875 (say 24°). It means

“almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha these days must be about -24° which it actually is. As the year 2004 is after 285, the Ayanamsha is minus i.e. we have to subtract it from sayana longitudes to make them nirayana. Therefore, if the real Makara Sankranti is on December 21 these days, Lahiri Makar Sankranti will be on 21+24=15 i.e. on January 14/15 of the next year. It is also clear that if Ayanamsha sign is minus, the sayana sankranti is earlier by that number of days from the so called nirayna sankranti and if it is plus, the sayana sankranti will be after that number of days of the nirayana sankranti. Between 7323 BC and 285 AD the total number of years elapsed was 7322+285=7607 years. Divided by 72, it comes to about +105°.5. It means that “almighty†Lahiri ayanamsha in 7322 BC was about 105°.5 plus. However, the exact Lahiri Ayanamsha then, as we have seen, was about +103° 40’. Therefore, the actual Makara or Mesha Sankrantis would have taken

place after about 104 days of Lahiri Makara or Mesha Sankrantis! We must not forget that the Vedic months Madhu, Madhava and the seasons like Vasanta etc. have nothing to do with Lahiri or Ramana or Khargeat zodiacs or such sankrantis! They (Vedic sankrantis) are just dependent on solar declination and therefore its tropical longitudes! So it is impossible for Vasanta Ritu and Madhumasa to have coincided with any Lahiri Mina sankranti. To top it all neither on February 22 nor on December 4 in 7323 BC the sun was in Lahiri Mina but it was 5 degrees of Kumbha and 23 degrees of Mesha respectively. The tropical sun being in Tula on December 4, 7323 BC, it was but Sharad Ritu and on February 22 of the same year it was Shishir Ritu! It is thus abundantly clear that however hard these “Vedic Astrologers†try, they cannot wish away the situation that about 9000 years back the month of Madhu, Vasanta Ritu and Lahiri Mina/Mesha Sun could never have coincided!

Same is the case with the horoscopes of Shri Krishen etc. as “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on July 18, 3222 BC was about 50° that is sayana and nirayana sankrantis were away by 50 days from one another!. It thus confirms what I have been emphasizing: The so called nirayana zodiacs neither existed in the past nor do they exist at present! There is, therefore, no possibility of their being born now, in spite of the very “best efforts†of “Vedic Astrologers†to procreate them!

Modern astronomy vis-à-vis “Vedic Astrologyâ€â€”a square peg in a round hole: It also defies imagination as to how Dr. Vartak has calculated longitudes for such a distant past on the basis of a “semi-modern†astronomy that also for the birth date of Bhagwan Shri Rama when these “Vedic Astrologers†decry modern scientists and astronomers as anti-Vedic because most of them do not believe in the hocus-pocus called Vedic Astrology as it does not exist in the Vedas at all! There was also an interesting comment by Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara on page 77 of the Astrological Magazine of January 2000, “There is no doubt that great and painstaking effort has gone into Dr. Vartak’s studies covering important events in the Ramayana. The efforts of scholars like Dr. Vartak that synthesize and integrate

known historical events with Vedic astrology (sic!) are milestones in the long and elaborate studies…â€. Then on the same page he says, “The reverse calculations showed the years 5352 and 7120 BC satisfying the specific planetary positions….†Needless to say that reverse calculations are as per modern astronomy! Even Dr. Raman had got the horoscopes of Shri Krishen, Gautam Budha, Jesus Christ and Shankaracharya etc. for his “Notable Horoscopes†calculated by Cyril Fagan as per modern astronomy! These “Vedic Astrologers†themselves shout from the housetops that modern astronomy is hardly a few centuries old. So Maharshi Valmiki or Garg or the family priest of Gautama Budha etc. could not have calculated Bhagwan Ram’s, or Shri Krishen’s or Gautama Budha’s horoscopes as per the mean elements provided by Newcombe, Brown or Leverrier and Gailot etc. that Dr. Vartak and company have used. If at all Valmiki and other Rishis had

calculated such horoscopes those should have been as per the Surya Sidhanta since no other sidhanta prior to that mentions astrological signs even by mistake nor do they contain any calculations for determining planetary longitudes etc. though Paitamaha sidhanta etc. are said to have existed from day one of the present creation! Modern astronomy is thus actually a square peg in the round hole of “Vedic Astrologyâ€

Bhagwan Ram is still alive and kicking (and waiting for “Vedic Astrologers†and ministers for astrology to enthrone Him again!): Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara has written a very long series of articles in the Astrological Magazine under the heading “Reflections on Ramayanaâ€. It is really surprising as to how he has “appreciated†the dates of Sri Rama’s birth as 7323 BC etc. The Valmiki Ramayana, in the very first Chapter of Balakanda, verse 96, states that “Rama ruled for eleven thousand years and then went to Brahmalokaâ€! Thus if Sri Rama was born in 7323 BC He will shed his mortal coil in about 4000 AD! (Maybe that is why “Vedic Astrologers†with the help of ministers for astrology are trying to usher in Rama Rajya since He must be waiting in the wings for their assistance as

Kaliyugi Ravanas must have usurped His kingdom again! May be also that is why “Vedic Astrology†is going to be made a core subject in our universities--- to select the proper muhurtas for His coronation! ) Then as per verse 11 of Chapter 20 of Balakanda, Dashratha says that he had been without a child for sixty thousand years! How do these “Vedic Astrologers†reconcile such statements of the Valmiki Ramayana with the date of birth of Sri Rama as 7323 BC? There are quite a few reference of such type not only in the Ramayana but in other Puranas also. If these verses are interpolations in the Valmiki Ramayana then what is the guarantee that the planetary position of Sri Rama’s birth in itself is not an interpolation? Or does it mean that only such portions as do not suit the fancies of “Vedic Astrologers†are interpolations and the rest are not? But then we cannot have the cake and eat it as well!

“Vedic Astrologers†themselves are at loggerheads: Dr. Vartak has been very persistent that his calculations are most accurate and as late as August 2001 as per his letter on Page 724 of the AM he has said, “I have fixed the date of Sri Rama’s birth as 4th December 7323 BC and the date of Mahabharata war as 16th October 5561 BC. Thus the difference between the two events is 1762 years. Dwapara Yuga consists of 2000 years and so matches my dates. Yugas in lakhs of years are used only for astronomical calculations. Therefore they are known as Divya years. Div means sky. So Divya years are to be used for astronomical calculations and not for human years….The genealogy given in the Puranas does not show 8,64,000 years between Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. It shows only 1700 yearsâ€. B. V. Raman,

supposed to be “greatest Vedic Astrologer†had given the birth date of Shri Krishna as July 19, 3228 BC and the date of His departure to His eternal abode as February 18, 3102 BC.. Dr. Vartak, another “doyen among Vedic Astrologers†says Mahabharta war started on October 16, 5561 BC. That means Mahabharata war started even before Bhagwan Krishna was born! Then according to these very “Vedic Astrologers†Kaliyuga started immediately on “Bhagwan Krishen shuffling off his mortal coil†i.e. February 18, 3102 BC. So Mahabharta war started before 2459 years of Shri Krishna having passed away! By the same logic, there was a gap of 2459 years between the date of Mahabharta war and the advent of Kaliyuga! Only “Vedic Astrologers†can tell us as to what Yuga it was in between.

“Vedic Astrologers†are making a laughing stock of themselves: “Pandit Vamadev Sastri†-- who is also the President of “Amercina Council of Vedic Astrologers†has said in March 1995 Astrological Magazine, “Bhishma shed off his mortal coil in 1800 BC!†though in the same article he also has calculated the date of beginning of Kaliyuga as February 18, 3102 BC. Thus Bhishma died 1300 years after Kaliyuga had started. Accordingly, as per the chronology of events fixed by “Vedic Astrologers†themselves, a) â€Shri Ram was born either on February 22 or December 4, 7323 BC and since as per the same Ramayana as per which His ‘horoscope’ has been prepared, He is bound to rule for eleven thousand years, He will shed off his mortal coil in 4000 AD – about two thousand years from today!

In the meantime, however, b) Mahabharata war started on October 16, 5561 BC (Shri Ram was still alive and ruling!) c) Dr. Raman has “proved†through “Vedic Astrology†in his “Notable Horoscopes†that Shri Krishen was born on July 19, 3228 BC (2300 years after Mahabharata war had ended!) Thus He even passed away without witnessing it! Shri Ram was (and is!) still alive, though! d) Kaliyuga started on February 18, 3102 BC ---2400 years after Mahabharata war ended and when it was still Rama Rajya though Shri Krishen had already passed away! e) Bhishma died in 1800 BC – thus he waited on his death bed of arrows for 4700 years after Mahabharata war had ended and about 1300 years of Shri Krishen passing away and after an equal number of years of Kaliyuga had gone by! Shri Ram was still ruling though! f) Shri Ram is still alive (and maybe hiding somewhere lest He be asked by “Vedic Astrologers†to reveal the secret of His having survived 5000

years of Kaliyuga as these “astrologers†want to outlive everybody to make “Vedic astrology†immortal!) As you have seen, all this “chronology†is just to “establish†the “sovereign empire†of “Vedic Astrologyâ€. So long live the chronology fixed by “Vedic Astrologers†and their “Vedic Astrologyâ€

Kaliyuga has a longer life than Dwapar Yuga: The question that begs an answer from these “Vedic Astrologers†especially the “Presidents†of their “Councils†is that as everybody knows, Shri Rama was born in Tretayuga and Shri Krishen in Dwapar Yuga. It means that Dwapar Yuga lasted only for a maximum number of 7323 minus 3102 i.e. about 4200 years. However, as per “Nirayana bible†viz “almighty†Lahiri’s Ephemeris itself, Kali Era in 2004 is 5105! It means it has already enjoyed a longevity of about one thousand years more than Dwapara Yuga! I do not know whether to laugh or shed tears for such an “omniscience†of these “Vedic Astrologersâ€. But in fact the only thing we can do is to cry on such despondency that these “Vedic Astrologers†have rendered us to because

they have hypnotized the ministers of Vedic Astrology and even the Shankaracharyas who cannot see the writing on the wall.

“Shortest day of the year†cannot be “a bit less or more shorter than the shortest†– nor can “A day=night†be “a bit less or more equal than equal†Now reverting to our original topic of definitions of Uttaryana etc. when these nirayana-versus sayana anomalies were brought to the notice of “Vedic astrologers†some of them had said that it could be that different interpretations were given to different criteria in the past just as the Upanishads etc. have different “commentaries by different acharyas subscribing to different viewpointsâ€. However, it is fallacious to presume that anybody can interpret the definition of Makara Sankranti/ Uttarayana as being a “bit less or more shorter than the shortest†nor can anyone interpret “day=night†as “a bit less or more

equal than equalâ€. In mathematics, if A=B and B=C then without any doubt A=C. Similarly, if as per the Vedas, Puranas, and our sidhantas etc., Makar Sankranti is another name of Uttarayana it has to be the shortest day of the year (Winter Solstice) and if Mesha/Tula Sankrantis are equivalents of Vishuvas, then the days and nights have to be equal on such occasions – Vernal and Autumn Equinoxes. There can be no two opinions, much less interpretations in such cases, since the scriptures as well as the sidhantas themselves have laid down the criteria of such phenomena unambiguously.

“Sidereal zodiac†is a creation of “Vedic astrologersâ€: If you consult any dictionary, you will find the definition of “sidereal†as “pertaining to the constellation or the fixed starsâ€. In any astronomical work, whether sidhantic or modern, you will find the definitions of “sidereal monthâ€, “sidereal timeâ€, “sidereal year†and so on but you will not find any “sidereal zodiac†listed anywhere. Similarly, you will find the definition of tropical as “suggestive of tropicsâ€. There is “Tropic of Cancer†and “Tropic of Capricornâ€. Then there are definitions of “tropical year†and “tropical month†but no definition of a tropical zodiac anywhere in any book. It is not difficult to guess the reason behind the “tropical†and “sidereal†zodiacs being

conspicuous by their absence – because the zodiac is just one! Even Lahiri’s Ephemeris defines zodiac as â€An imaginary belt stretching about 9° north and south of the ecliptic, within which the planets and the moon remain in course of their movementsâ€. So if the “nirayana bible†itself declares zodiac to be just “one imaginary beltâ€: how can it be said that there are more than one zodiac - one tropical and the other sidereal, the latter having hundreds of different dimensions - like Lahiri Zodiac, Ramana zodiac and so on! No sane person in this world can therefore say that the “zodiac starts from Revati†or “180° opposite Chitra†or “from the point of sweet will of N. C. Lahiri†or “from the point Dr. B. V. Raman desires it to start†etc. etc. It is thus a non existent dichotomy, created by “Vedic astrologers†to keep themselves in business.

Nirayana zodiacs have thus actually killed our dharma: One shudders on seeing the consequences of following such topsy-turvy nirayana zodiacs! Nowadays we are celebrating Mahalaya (Pitra Amavasya) when actually it is Dipavali, like on October 6, 2002; Pongal/Makar Sankranti not on the day of Uttarayana i.e. around December 21/22, when it should be celebrated as per the Vedas and other scriptures, but around January14/15, since our “Vedic astrologers†advise us to do so! We also celebrate marriages during the actual Pitrapaksha like August 22 to September 6, 2002, and Pitrapaksha when it is actually auspicious time for celebrating marriages as per the Vedas like September 21 to October 6, 2002! Same is the case with other festivals like Maha Shivratri, Navratras, both Vasanti and Sharadiya (the

names clearly indicate that they are related to seasons!), Ramanavmi, Janmashatmi, Durga Puja, etc. etc. apart from Sarvartha Sidhi Yogas and so on!

Real Vedic astrology, if it exists at all, can never be based on nirayana zodiacs: The million dollar question I would like to put to all these “â€Vedic astrologers†is that even if somehow by closing our eyes to all the evidence that there is no predictive astrology in the Vedas, we agree for the sake of argument that there really is Vedic astrology, then how come they are basing it not on a seasonal year/zodiac --- which the Vedas advocate – but on other non-Vedic---thus anti-Vedic and imaginary--- hundreds of zodiacs like Ramana, Lahiri, Kharegat, Fagan, Surya Sidhanta, Grahalaghava, Revati, Chitra Rashichakra etc. etc. – just to name a few of them?

“Vamadevas†should have informed us about our celebrating festivals on wrong days: And the billion dollar question is as to why do these “Vamadevas†and “Varahamihiras†not tell our “ministers for astrologyâ€, who are eating out of their hands, that India is suffering not because of her external enemies but because Indian public in general (including the Budhists, the Jains etc.) are being made to celebrate all the festivals and muhurtas on the basis of wrong Rashichakras!

His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka had declared more than a 100 years back that sayana rashichakra alone was to be used for fairs, festivals and muhurtas: As per page 535 of “Bharatiya Jyotish†by S. B. Dikshit, (Hindi translation by Publications Division, UP), H H Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka, as per his edict No. 229 of Shaka year 1815 (1894 AD) had declared in unequivocal terms, “I find that the nirayana almanacs should be taken as extremely doubtful, since they do not give the correct time for performing the rites ordained by Shruti, Smriti and Puranas. As the sayana panchanga gives the proper times, this Samsthan of the Jagadguru, declares that the Sayana Panchanga should be regarded as a suitable almanac for performing religious rites….â€.

Gujarat is a burning example of bearing the fruit of celebrating festivals on wrong days: Personally, I feel that Gujarat is having maximum problems, both natural and man-made, because they are celebrating Pitra Amavasya when they should be celebrating Dipavali --- which is their Lunar New Year’s Day -- as per the Vedas e.g. October 6, 2002! It would have been really wise for them to have gone by the edict of H. H. Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka rather than by the edict of overseas “Vamadevas†and local “Parasharas†and “Varahamihirasâ€! (Proof of pudding is in the eating, as some so called “Vedic astrologers†are wont to say!)

Kashmiri Pandits lost their homeland because of celebrating festivals as per Vijayeshwar Jantri instead of the Vedas or Tantraloka etc. Same is the story of Kashmiri Pandits, who believed more in Vijayeshwar Jantri – based on Grahalaghava and Makaranda -- rather than the Vedas, Shivamahapurana or Tantraloka! Obviously you do not need enemies to ruin you if you have nirayana Panchangamakers to advise you!

Calendar Reform Committee never suggested a permanent nirayana zodiac/calendar: Even the Report of the Calendar Reform Committee, 1955, by which these “Vedic astrologers†swear had unanimously resolved (pages 4 to 7) that the so called nirayana rashichakra was to be adopted only for a very very short period and they had hoped (not against hope) that in the near future our festivals would be aligned to the relevant seasons in which they were celebrated in the Vedic period and also that of Kalidasa! The late N. C. Lahiri, the culprit number one for inventing Lahiri rashichakra, also had signed that unanimous resolution!

“Nirayana calendar makers are committing the entire Hindu society to adharmaâ€: The Calendar Reform Committee, 1955, has said on page 260 of its report, “In continuing to follow nirayana system, the Hindu calendar makers are under delusion that they are following the path of Dharma. They are actually committing the whole Hindu society to Adharmaâ€.

Matching of horoscopes a recent malady: Then again, why do these “Vedic astrologers†not inform the general public that the real Vamadevas were not addicted to the fad of “matching of horoscopes†as otherwise they would never have been able to marry! For that matter, why do they not tell us that there is no mention of such a malady in any of the scriptures or epics, nor in any of their so called “Vedic astrology†text books like Brihat Parashari or Mansagari etc.! Obviously, it is a fad (for fleecing the gullible!) being used only for the last about a century or so, since even Alberuni has not referred to it in his travelogue at all. If anyone says that he has seen some mention of such a “malady†in any scripture, he is taking us for a ride and I challenge him to quote the relevant

chapter and verse of that scripture or epic.

Rashtriya Panchanga makers themselves are now “committing the entire Hindu society to Adharma†I had sent personal letters, by registered post, to the publishers of our Rashtriya Panchanga viz. Director General of Meteorology, New Delhi and also Director, Positional Astronomy Centre, Calcutta, apart from the Chairman, University Grants Commission, New Delhi and Chief Secretary of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi -- with copies to ministers for astrology, even the Prime Minister and the Home Minister --- nay even all the six Shankaracharyas---informing them about this sad plight-- but to no use! (If you so desire, copies of those letters can be sent to you also)

Dasha Bhuktis are concoctions of the worst order: As a Vedic Hindu, I have every right to know from these “Vedic astrologers†that if they are really interested in propagating the real “Vedic predictive astrologyâ€, (though there is no such astrology at all in the Vedas) then why do they not proclaim to the whole world that since tropical rashichakra has its moorings in the Vedas it is a product of India and not an original system of either Babylon or Arabia --- much less that of Western countries, who are still “teething†in astrology. “Pandit Vamadeva Sastri†should have been the “forerunner†of this “marathon race†if he wanted to propagate the real Vedic astrology, instead of propagating irrelevant, illogical and self-contradictory systems of Dasha Bhuktis – Vimshotari,

Ashtotatri, Yogini, Kalachakra, Manduka, Pluta and so on and so forth! None of these Dashas has been referred to in Brihat Jatakam of Varahamihira (5th century AD) -- the only original document of predictive astrology available today in its original form, nor does its commentator Bhatotpala (7th century AD) throw any light on them. Surprisingly, Alberuni does not refer to any such Dasha Bhuktis either though he has devoted several chapters to Indian predictive astrology in his travelogues. Evidently, these Dasha-Bhuktis are a product of a much later date --- a concoction of the worst order being peddled as Vedic astrology!

Varahamihira refers to many Greek words in his Brihat Jatakam etc.: It is surprising that we find, on the other hand, words like Sunapha, Anapha, Durdhura, Kemadruma etc. in Brihat Jatakam! These are not of Indian origin at all. Similarly, the names of rashis given by him have a Greek “stamp†on them on several occasions. He has also paid fulsome homage to Greek (yavana) astrologers in his works! It is therefore just possible that Dasha Bhuktis, as adumberated by Varahamihira, were of Greek origin. He has referred to Parashara as an astrologer also but he has not quoted anything from his work and it is also doubtful whether it is the same Parashara of Vishnu Purana he is talking about or it is some other astrologer of Parashara Gotra. It is also possible that Parashara’s book was not available

even in 5th century AD. Its non-availability has been confirmed by Bhatotpala (7th century AD) in his commentary on Brihat Jatakam. That also should be an eye opener to the readers that the half a dozen versions of Parasharis available in the market these days are concoctions of the worst order. “manufactured†by “Vedic Astrologers†just for fleecing the gullible. Tazika Nilakanthi contains all the material relevant only to “western aspects†like Itshal, mutshil etc. It is the only original work available on annual horoscopy in India. Euphemistically, it is called “Progressed†horoscope in “Indian†English! It has been adopted in toto with the only difference that here also, quite contrary to the original works of annual horoscopy, “Ayanamsha tonsure†to the longitudes is being advocated by “Vedic Astrologersâ€!

Being non-existent, nirayana zodiacs are the worst figments of imagination: Why also do these “Vedic astrologers†not tell the general public, who have become mesmerized by their gimmicks, that the hundreds of so called nirayana zodiacs are completely useless for any kind of predictive astrology as well not to speak of preparing a panchanga, e.g., to calculate sunrise, moonrise, eclipses or rising and setting of planets etc. etc. we need declinations of the sun, moon and planets ---which can never be obtained by dint of Lahiri, Raman, Fagan or Kharegat or any other nirayana planetary longitudes --- but only through the tropical ones. Similarly, even to calculate their own birth charts these “Vedic astrologers†need RAMC and ascensional difference etc. which can be obtained only through sayana

longitudes! Even to decide heliacal rising or setting (“Guru-Shukra astâ€) of planets for fixing suitable timings for marriages, tonsure etc. we need tropical longitudes! So zero cheers for the non-existent and therefore useless and hopeless “nirayana zodiacsâ€.

To admit existence of nirayana zodiacs is to betray one’s ignorance of the highest order: What is most surprising is as to how our ministers for astrology, who were also ministers for science, were “digesting†this most bizarre and unscientific “truth†that the nirayana and sayana zodiacs “coincided†sometime in the past! They seemed to be so hypnotized by these “Vedic astrologers†that they just forgot that there can be one and only one zodiac in the universe. All the sidhantas also refer to just one “Bhachakra†--- zodiac! Therefore, to say that there are more than one zodiac is to betray one’s ignorance of the highest order!

“Vested interests†are deliberately avoiding to take the bull by the horn: I must put on record that right from 1997 onwards I have been bringing all these glaring anomalies to the notice of all the “Vedic astrologers†besides our ministers and deputy ministers for astrology apart from all the six revered Shankaracharyas, through my annual SHRI KRISHEN UNIVERSAL EPHEMERIS AND PANCHANGA. Registered letters were also sent to most of the ministers and all the six Shankaracharyas, besides the Chairman, UGC, etc. but there was no response. It means that if in spite of being aware of all these fundamental anachronisms between the real Vedic i.e. sayana astronomy/astrology and the so called “Vedic astrology†based on hundreds of non-existent nirayana Rashichakras and Dasha-Bhuktis etc. these

“Vedic astrologers†do not enlighten the general public about the same, they must certainly have some “private†axe to grind -- “vested interests†in other words!

The only Vedic country is using all the non-Vedic zodiacs and calendars whereas all others are using the actual Vedic i.e. Sayana zodiac and calendars: Because of these vested interests alone, these “Vedic astrologers†have singled out the only Vedic country for making her embrace hundreds of non-Vedic (nirayana) Rashichakras (and therefore calendars), leaving the real Vedic Rashichakras (tropical zodiac and thus the seasonal calendar) for all the other “non-Vedic†countries of the world!

We have progressed by leaps and bounds only in “Vedic astrology†but not in astronomy: We got freedom from the alien rule in 1947 -- and if we make an impartial survey of all the departments in which we have progressed, “Vedic astrology†will outshine all the others put together. There are now thousands of magazines in every nook and corner of the country in every dialect on this subject. “Vedic astrologers†today outnumber their clients --- they are more than even the doctors, Vaidyas, homeopaths and quacks put together.! Almost every day, a dozen “research works†are published on this “divine†subject. Every politician and/or criminal is a “Vedic astrologerâ€! Ninety per cent of these “Vedic astrologers†use Lahiri’s Ephemeris or some other “Chitra Paksha Panchaga†or

“Jantri†etc. All those panchangas acknowledge in one form or the other, “We express our thanks to India Meteorological Deptt.. for kindly supplying us the data used in this ephemerisâ€. In turn, the Director General of India Meteorological Department has obsequiously to admit in the “Indian Astronomical Ephemeris†and Rashtriya Panchanga year after year, “Our sincere thanks are due to the Superintendent, British Nautical Almanac Office, the Directors of the Nautical Almanac Offices of U. S. A. and of the Astronomisches Rechen Institue, Heidelberg for the data furnished by themâ€. Mind you, all these countries supplying the data are non-Vedic! Ironically, our minister of astrology was also the minister of science, under whom the India Meteorological Deptt. Works. One wonders why he did not consult its birth chart! Even otherwise, the “most prestigious astrological magazine†---- the “propagator number one†of “Vedic astrologyâ€

from India also gets its astronomical data every month in a computer printed form from “Educational Sciences Corporation of Americaâ€---a non-Vedic country!

Astrology based on “Non-Vedic†data is “Vedicâ€! So long live the “divine works†on Indian astronomy viz. the Vedanga Jyotisha, Surya Sidhanta and Aryabhati etc. which have been “shelved†by these “Vedic astrologers†for eternity to rest in peace! No less ironically, the astrology based on these very data --- which are “sayanaâ€, of course, from the “upstarts of yesteryears†is termed as “Vedic†--- anything that touches the “alchemic†hands of “Vedic astrologers†becomes Vedic! Even “Pandit Vamadeva Sastriâ€, the non-Indian “Vedic astrologerâ€, is no exception as he also uses the astronomical data from non-Vedic observatories!

A “win-win†situation for “Vedic astrologersâ€: The implications of all this assessment boil down to: i) Even if someone does not know the names of the Vedas properly, (ii) Even if he does not know ABC of Sanskrit language; (iii) Even if he is a criminal convicted of all the heinous crimes listed in any Criminal Code in the world, but if he has read a few books on “Vedic astrology†and preferably “obtained†some “diploma†or “degree†from any of the hundreds of the “deemed to be universities†of “Vedic astrology†--- he is a “Vedic astrologer†and by implication --- a Vedic scholar! He is also “licensed†to fleece the public! No other “discipline†of education bestows so many honours and gifts for so little!

Propagating and practicing the so called “Vedic astrology†is a criminal offence under The Consumer Protection Act: Be that as it may, as we have seen, there is absolutely no predictive astrology in the Vedas, at least not the systems based on hundreds of the so called nirayana zodiacs and an equal number of Dasha-Bhuktis. Therefore, presenting such a system of predictions as “Vedic astrology†is a criminal offence under the Consumer Protection Act as it is a misrepresentation of the facts to the clients and the general public.

Nirayana rashichakras are an insult to the Vedas and other shastras: Initially, I could not “digest†the high praise bestowed by our shastras on performing rituals at (Sayana) Sankrantis especially those of Ayanas and Vishuvas. But later I found that our Rishis were the greatest scientists --- without any “observatories†at their disposal! Astronomically, the Equinoxes (and even the Solstices!) are “moving†because of Precession of Equinoxes. The earth is hurtling in its orbit around the sun and so is the ecliptic – though the speed of the ecliptic is quite small! The “nanoseconds†of the “conflux--Triveni†of these three “wandering bodies†are known as Vishuvas– Equinoxes! Similarly, the earth, after having attained the maximum Declination of North (on Uttarayana---Winter

Solstice) or South (on Dakshinayana – Summer Solstice) has to “halt†for a “moment†before “turning backâ€! All these “instants†are fleeting moments – lasting hardly for milli/nano-seconds! And that is why our Rishis said that it was almost impossible even for the Yogis to “catch hold of†such “fleeting momentsâ€! Exactly for the same reason, on the other hand, celebrating Makar Sankranti these days on January 14/15 is thus without any logic, rhyme or reason or sidhantic or astronomical support – and least of all as advised by our Shastras because there is no “conflux†or “halting†of the earth on such artificial Sankrantis despite innumerable “Ayanamsha†props! And the so called “Vedic astrology†is based on these very imaginary Rashichakras! Nirayana Rashichakras are thus an insult to the Vedas and other shastras.

Sayana Rashichakra is the only way to preserve the real national integration even among Hindus who are otherwise fighting among themselves like Kilkenny-cats about the accuracy of their “personal Ayanamshasâ€. These days we are following at least half a dozen Ayanamsha in India viz. Lahiri, (Rashtriya Panchanga etc. ), Chitra , Ramana (Raman’s Panchangas), Revati (Tilak Panchanga), Grahalaghava (Mani Ram’s Panchanga and Brahman Mahamandal Panchanchang) and Surya Sidhanta (Kashi Vishva Panchanga of Benaras Hindu University). All are adamant that their own Ayanamsha is the most scientific and shastric. However, they cannot adduce any proof to substantiate their arguments. On the other hand, there is always a lot of confusion about such festivals also like Makara Sankranti, Kumbha Mela, Adhikamasa

etc. e.g. in 2001 there was no Adhika masa as per Tilaka Panchanga or Ramana Panchanga/Ephemeris but as per Lahiri Panchagas there was an adhika Ashvina masa! The only logical and reasonable way to eliminate such a confusion is that we must adopt Sayana Rashichakra for all our festivals and fairs etc. since it is the only one sanctioned by all the Vedas, Puranas, Shastras and sidhantas also.

“Vedic astrology†must be re-christened as “Kaliyugi Jyotish†If these “Vedic astrologers†do not wake up to the situation even after reading this “Open Page†the only option we are left with is to re-christen the so called “Vedic astrology†as Kaliyugi Jyotish and all such “Vedic astrologers†as Kaliyugi Jyotishis as they are taking us for a ride deliberately.

Topocentric versus geocentric: The parting shot is that there is another anachronism going on in Indian Panchangas – topocentric versus geocentric longitudes of planets, especially the moon. Raphael’s Ephemeris had been hammering this point for the last several years and now even the “nirayana bible†viz. Lahiri’s Ephemeris for 2002 had to admit on page 5, “The longitudes are apparent geocentric positions as seen from the centre of the earth. The topocentric positions i.e. the positions as seen by an observer at any specified point of the earth’s surface, slightly differ from the geocentric position, being 9 arc seconds for Sun, 62 arc minutes for Moon and 1 arc minute for planets.†Topocentric actually means longitudes for the concerned place e.g. Delhi where this article is being prepared, after making corrections for horizontal parallax. Geocentric, on the other hand, means longitudes for a non-existent imaginary place --- the “bowels†of the earth--- where temperatures range between 5000° and 7000° Celsius. The former is sanctioned and recommended even by our sidhantas and modern astronomy whereas the latter is adopted only by “Vedic astrologers†for calculating Dasha Bhuktis (thus making “correct predictions†from incorrect data!) and matching of horoscopes etc. besides working out tithi, nakshatra etc. from those very longitudes prepared for a non-existent place. We shall touch that “raw nerve†of Indian panchangas and Indian astrology in detail some other time in some other write up.

I will be glad to furnish any further clarifications via my email address: vedic Keeping in view all the anachronisms listed in this article, an All India Calendar Reform Committee was formed. It is going to be registered shortly. It is an open invitation to all the Biradari to join the same and be the beacon-lights for the community. Details of the same are given in the end of this article. Avtar Krishen KaulPublisherShri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & PanchangH No. 5, MIG, 00-A, Sector 2Avantika, RohiniDelhi-110085Ph. 27516483Email: jyotirvedOm Tat Sat Brahmarpanam Astu

All India Calendar Reform Committee

H. No.5, 00-A, Sector-2, Avantika, Rohini, Delhi-110085

 

 

 

To start with, the following will be the main activities of this committee as on Dec. 1, 2003: 1. It will strive for streamlining the Hindu calendar as per the canons of the Vedas, Puranas and Dharmashastras besides Sidhantas and modern astronomy, which are that all the religious festivals and Muhurtas etc. have to be aligned to the respective seasons and hence instead of an imaginary “sidereal zodiac†only tropical years and months, coupled with respective synodic/lunar months are to be followed. 2. The “nakshatra-chakra†of 27 equal nakshatras will also be aligned accordingly i.e. Ashvini nakshatra will be deemed to start from Vernal Equinox, as was done in Munjala’s and Alberun’s time i.e. in 11th century. 3. Solar year will start from the ingress of the sun into Mesha – i.e. Vernal Equinox and will be known

as Madhava and/or Vaishakha. The Vasanti lunar year will start on the Shukla Pratipat after the start of Vasanta Ritu i.e. the transit of the sun into (Sayana) Mina Rashi. All other festivals will follow accordingly in that order. Ayanas and Vishuvas – Solstices and Equinoxes--will be the four cardinal points of the rashichakra. 4. Only topocentric tithis, nakshatras etc., besides (at least) lunar longitudes, will be used for deciding the fairs and festivals since geocentric phenomena are for an imaginary location instead of some real one. Following are the members of this committee as on date: 1) Patron: Dr. Rahimal Prasad Tiwari, Bhattapara, PIN-493118, Dist. Raipur (Chhatisgarh); 2) President: Avtar Krishen Kaul (address as given in this letterhead); 3) Vice-President – North – Pt. Bholadatt Mahtolia, B/896, Avas Vikas (Udam Singh Nagar), Dist. Rudrapur, PIN-163153 (Uttaranchal); 4)

Vice-President—Central—Shri Madhu Gadakari. 1, Utalsar, Thane-400601 (Maharashtra); 5) General Secretary: Shri Darshaneya Lokesh, 74-C, Double Storey, Locoshed, Moradabad-244001 (UP); 6) Secretary: Shri Sanjay Kumar Mehta, Jale Hat, Jale, Darbhanga, PIN-847302 (Bihar) OM TATSAT BRAHMARPANAM ASTU

 

 

 

 

 

N.B. The festivals that have been enjoined by the Shastras are given above. Surprisingly, quite a few "Jyotishis" are still hypnotized by a non-existent “nirayana Lahiri†Rashichakra and also as the "majority of (Kaliyugi!) Panchangakars and Jyotishis†had proposed it to the "Calendar Reform Committee" in 1955, they had, much against their wishes, "endorsed" that very "Lahiri" Rashichakra for deciding fairs etc. though they had made it very clear that it was only "as a very temporary measure". However, thanks to the "untiring efforts" of these "Kaliyugi Jyotishis" nobody has cared to implement the real recommendations of that very Committee with the result that the same "nirayana Rashichakra" is being used for fixing important Hindu festivals. Therefore, "Goverment holidays" are also being decided by the Rashtriya Panchanga etc. on the basis of that very non-existent Rashichakra. The real Vedic

festivals have been decided as follows1. Vernal Equinox has been taken as the start of the Vedic month Madhava ( Sayana Mesha Sankranti). and also the beginning of the solar year, starting from Vaishakha. All the other Sayana Sankrantis have been named as per subsequent Rashis e..g. Vrisha, Mithuna Sankranti. etc. (In fact, Rashtriya Panchanga also is showing Sayana Sankrantis as Vedic!) 2 . Names of solar months in vogue in India have been given simultaneously with their Vedic names e..g. "Madhav, Mesha, Vaishakh, Sankra." means it is Madhava, i.e. Sayana Mesha Sankranti which is the beginning of the solar month known as (solar) Vaishakha and Meshadi etc. These dates are for observing fasts etc. and may sometimes be plus/minus one day from the actual sankranti. 3. Lunar months have been named as per preceding solar Sayana Sankranti since that is what has been ordained by all the shastras which say that

Vaishakha is another name of Madhava—Vernal Equinox--and so on (Vishnudharmottara Purana etc). In the case of Lahiri lunar months they are neither as per the shastras nor as per Sidhantas nor modern astronomy -- but only decreed by “almighty†Lahiri and Lahiriwalas and followed blindly by all the Kaliyugi Jyotishis so that they do not lose their crumbs. It is obvious that these Kaliyugi Jyotishis are leading us towards darkness of adharma just for the filth of lucre. 5. All the festivals and fairs have been determined as per the prevailing criteria e.g. Vasanti Navaratras have been fixed as per the criterion "Chaitra Shukla Pratipat" with the only difference that Sayana Lunar Chaitra has followed Sayana solar Chaitra viz. transit of the sun into Sayana (and not the non-existent nirayana—Lahiri) Mina Rashi. 6. Lunar months have been named on Purnimanta pattern i.e. starting with Krishna Paksha as is done in

Northern India, UP, Bihar, Orissa etc. In other areas like Maharashtra, South India etc. Krishna Paksha has to be changed to earlier month, e.g. Magha Kri.. Paks. means Pausha Krishna Paksha in such areas and so on. The beginning dates of lunar Shukla & Krishna. Paksha are meant for “Sankalpa†etc. Only Sayana topocentric tithi, nakshatras etc. for Delhi have been used while determining these festivals etc. 7. Intervening fasts etc. not given in this list, can be determined by the readers easily. 8. As per Muhurta-shastras, real and not “Lahiri†Dhanurmas, Kharmas, Adhika/Kshyayamas, Pitra-paksha etc. are to be avoided in auspicious ceremonies like marriage, tonsure etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

N.B. Just to increase the sales of his English/ Bengali ephemeris / Panchangas, an imaginary Rashichakra was invented by late N. C. Lahiri which was nearer to Grahalaghava in 1940s All other “Jyotishis†followed him like “blind following blind". Such "Lahiri festivals†are enjoy government holidays whereas there are no such holidays for the real Vedic fairs which it should actually be. Same is also the case with all the Muhurtas etc. E.g. Kharmas is actually from Feb 21 to March 20 and Dhanurmas from Nov.21 to Dec. 21 every year but our Kaliyugi Panchangakars & Jyotishis decide them as per their own whims to boost the sales of their Panchangas & ephemeris etc. Surprisinbgly there is no adhikamasa as per Surya Sidhanta,Grahalaghava,Tilaka or Ramana Panchanga etc in 2004 but only as per Lahir Rashichakra, which even our “Rashtriya Panchanga†and its ilk follows! What is reprehensible

is that instead of the real Vaishakha Mala- masa, these Lahiriwalas are prescribing Shravana adhikamas which will result in all the festivals becoming topsy-turvy! Better beware!

 

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http://www.aryasamaj.org/eng_art/do_celebrate_in_time.htm

DO WE CELEBRATE OUR FESTIVALS ON CORRECT DAYS? NO, NOT AT ALL!

By Avtar Krishen Kaul

I was fascinated to see the response to my earlier articles “Do we celebrate our festivals on correct days?†in March, April and May 2001 issues of this esteemed magazine. It is a “live demonstration†of the fact that Kashmiri Pandit community is still alive and vibrating! May God make it realize its goals. Amen!

Since astronomy – whether sidhantic or Grahalaghava or modern - is nothing but astrophysics, it should not be difficult to sift grain from the chaff for any discerning reader, because unlike predictive astrology, astronomy does not leave anything to chance or conjecture. Therefore, I leave it to readers to decide for themselves, after reading these articles, whether we are really celebrating our festivals on correct days or not.

Something about myself: I must digress here a bit and say something about myself as to how I got “into†and “out of†the so called “Hindu†astrology, euphemistically known as Vedic astrology. I was born at my maternal grandfather’s, late Nathji Shastri – Pajnoo—house at Chundapora in Srinagar ! I am sure quite a few readers of this magazine must have heard his name since he was the first Kashmiri Pandit to have cleared Shastri from Benaras Hindu University in 19th century and was a redoubtable astrologer. People would flock to him from far and near since his predictions were said to be quite correct. I was hardly 12 years old when he passed away. However, he left a lot of rare books on astrology, Vedanta, Puranas etc. etc. for me as a legacy. Most of those books were in Sharda script. Being quite young at that stage

and not having much interest in Sanskrit, I did not pay any attention to those books then. With the passage of time, while searching for a job, I had to consult a lot of Jyotishis for remedial measures so that I could get a job -- preferably a government one. I felt it at that time that I must also learn this “art†myself as then I could understand the implications of various Yogas and Dasha Bhuktis etc.

Vijayeshwar Nechipatr was the most respected jantri: My maternal grandfather would use invariably the only nechipatr (panchang) available in Kashmir then --- Viajayeshwar in Sharda script, which his Guruji --- the late Gopal Boyoo – would deliver on every “Gora – treyâ€. We would also keep on consulting Hindi version of the same Panchang --- more so for “Rahsiphal†and “Bhadsharwar†etc. since Sharda was a bit difficult for us at that time. My maternal grandfather and great-grandfather etc. must have been using that nechipatr probably from the very first day of its availability since I found later those annual panchangas for at least fifty years available in his library. He used to prepare horoscopes from those very panchangas. I was so fascinated by Vijayeshwar Jantri that when I bought Rashtriya Panchanga from Kashmir

Bookshop in Residency Road for the first time in 1958 and compared the various festivals and the planetary longitudes etc. with those of Vijayeshwar Panchang, I found that there was a lot of difference in the ending moments of tithi, nakshatra etc. besides the planetary longitudes. I did not know the difference between modern astronomy or Grahalaghava or sidhantic calculations and was annoyed that the publishers of Rashtriya Panchang had the hardihood to publish something different from that of Vijayeshwar Panchang!

One day in 1960 I went to consult G. C. Rampal, a famous astrologer, at Needo’s Hotel opposite Polo Ground about my job. He asked me to come after three days. When I went again, he had prepared a chart much different in planetary positions etc. from the one my maternal grandfather had prepared. I thought Mr. Rampal had made a wrong chart but kept quiet out of respect for him. I lost all interest in the predictions he had made, since if the very chart he had prepared for me was “incorrectâ€, how could the predictions be correct.

First shock of my life: Not having secured a job in Kashmir, I shifted to Jammu in early 1963 -- after having cleared Prabhakar, Shastri and M. A. etc. examinations from Kashmir University . I carried very few things with me then -- but the horoscope prepared by my maternal grandfather for me was a prized possession and I could not leave it behind me at Srinagar . Since that horoscope was quite big -- a thick roll – and in Sharda, I had to learn that script as I wanted desperately to understand as to what had been predicted by him about me in that “Zatukâ€.

There in Jammu , I saw for the first time in Pacca Danga the Astrological Magazine by Dr. B. V. Raman and right from that date I have not missed even a single issue of that magazine. I came across one Jamwal Sahib there at a bookshop while buying that magazine and as he also was interested in astrology, we became friends. He was quite well versed in this subject and wanted to see my horoscope. Gladly, I showed to him the same “Zatuk†(horoscope) prepared by my grandfather -- he was able to decipher Sharda script. It took him about half an hour to make some calculations from “Lahiri’s Condensed Ephemeris†that I saw for the first time then. His verdict was, “your planetary positions are incorrectâ€! I was shocked and told him in no uncertain terms that he must have gone mad to say so since my horoscope had been prepared by none other than the greatest astrologer of

Kashmir – Pt. Nathji Shastri!

Jamwal Sahib had heard his name and was really an intelligent and understanding gentleman.. He smiled and asked me as to which Jantri my grandfather was using. I told him that it was, of course, Vijayeshwara. He said that it was not the fault of my grandfather but the Jantri he had used for preparing my horoscope. He took out Rashtriya Panchang and also Vijayeshwar for that year – 1963 – and showed to me as to how different the timings of tithi, nakshatra besides the ingress of planets etc. were. When I still insisted that Vijayshwar must be correct and the other one wrong, he took out Lahiri’s Indian Ephemeris for 1963 and showed as to how the Rashtriya Panchanga and that ephemeris tallied exactly! He said that it could not be that both could be incorrect and have same wrong longitudes etc. in every way! I was immediately reminded of my dilemma with the accuracy of

Rashtriya Panchang when I had seen it for the first time and had therefore to stomach silently as to what Jamwalji had to say! But then this set me a-thinking as to what was happening and why. At my residence in Jammu, I compared the chart prepared by Mr. Jamwal with the one prepared by G. C. Rampal – and was surprised to find that both of them tallied exactly! It was thus conclusively proved that Vijayeshwar Panchang was definitely wrong. That was the first shock of my life that we in Kashmir had been using a wrong nechipatr for God knows how long! Since then I lost my faith completely in Vijayeshwar Jantri and though I would purchase it regularly almost every year, but that was more out of a habit and curiosity than anything else.

Still not content with that “explanation†of Jamwalji, I went to him the next day again and asked him as to how the predictions made by my grandfather could come correct if the very panchanga he was using was incorrect. Mr. Jamwal’s simple reply was that my grandfather must have been a real “Rsihi†since he could make correct predictions from incorrect data also whereas in those days (1963) one could not make correct predictions even from correct data! Mr. Jamwal was candid enough to admit that even his own predictions failed quite often, though the calculations made by him were cent per cent accurate.! I re-read the predictions made by Mr. G.C. Rampal, but quite a few of them were much off the mark though the calculations were quite correct as per “Lahiri’s Ephemerisâ€

Second shock of my life: Later on during lengthy discussions with Mr. Jamwal I came to know that both Rashtriya Panchang and Lahiri’s Ephemeris were accurate only because they were prepared from “Nautical Almanac†which was published by Greenwich Observatory and could be imported by any good bookseller in India from “Her Majesty’s Stationary Office†in London . That was the second shock of my life that to prepare a correct Panchanga even the Government of India had to import material from “Her Majesty …â€, In spite of being free, we were still not “free†to prepare our own panchanga, though we claimed to the whole world that our sidhantic astronomy was thousands of years old and most accurate! Obviously, what cannot be cured has to be endured! Mr. Jamwal was the first man to tell me that most probably Vijayeshwar

Panchanga was prepared from Grahalaghava and was therefore incorrect.

Too little and too late: My worst fears got confirmed when the same Vijayesshwar Panchang, that my ancestors and even myself---nay the whole Kashmiri Pandit community--- had been holding in such high esteem, declared on page 138 of its 1997-98 edition, “Till today we were giving correct details only of eclipses etc. However, this year we have been able to get the correct ending moments of Tithi, Nakshatra etc. through the courtesy of Shri Priyavrat Sharma of Martand Panchangam. We are therefore giving correct details of Nakshatra etc. now. However, we are giving ending moments of tithis even this year as per Grahalaghava. Though it was incumbent on us to give correct ending moments of Tithis also but we have a competitor Panchang as well. Since that panchanga gives the ending moments of Tithi etc. on the basis of Grahalaghava, our

correct (i.e. as per modern astronomy) ending moments of Tithis would not tally with the same. In every Kashmiri household our Panchanga is worshipped like a divine book (because it was never correct?!) On comparison with the other Panchanga they would have presumed that our Panchanga was incorrect.. We are therefore giving incorrect ending moments to beat the competitionâ€. Have you ever seen such a brazen-faced “confession†anywhere else except in Vijayeshwar Panchang/Jantri? On the one hand they admit that they have been giving wrong ending moments of planetary phenomena etc. for centuries -- from the very inception of their Jantri --- and simultaneously they “pray our indulgence†to continue to bear with such wrong data because they have a competitor panchanga! We had been taking Vijayeshwar as our friend, philosopher and guide in every matter and every walk of our life and this is what we got in return!

We must digest the wrong data because they did not want to lose the sale of their Panchanga! Instead of apologizing to the whole Kashmiri community with folded hands for having been giving them wrong information and thus misguiding them, all they are worried about is the sale of their panchanga! They are also silent as to what Prayashchitam they were doing about having been prescribing wrong Muhurtas and festivals etc. Obviously, the Janmapatris based on Vijayeshwar Jantri also were incorrect and therefore, any patri-melapak based on the same must have been absolutely wrong!That is what is exactly meant by “too little and too lateâ€. (The “confession†page number quoted from the Vijayeshwar Jantri is from its Urdu edition and the page number in its Hindi edition for 1997-98 is perhaps a different one).

I become a “veteran astrologerâ€: However, being out of job, I did not have much to do at Jammu , except for “hunting†for a job. So I literally “devoured voraciously†every book on astrology I could find --- quite a few I got from Srinagar from my grandfather’s library, the rest I purchased from Jammu or by VPP from Delhi, Benaras, Bombay etc. Some of the books were given to me for reading by Mr. Jamwal. Later when I came to Delhi in 1967, and after I got my first job with a private company in April 1967, the first thing I did with my salary was to buy some books on astrology by Dr. B. V. Raman. It was a very sacred job for me to do! To cut a long story short, there is hardly any book on Indian astrology in original Sanskrit that I have not gone through with a lot of devotion and reverence as if I was reading the Vedas! Some of those books are: Brihat Parashara –

both Venkateshwar Press, Mumbai and Master Khelari lal & Sons, Varanasi editions, Brihat Jatakam, Manasagari, Bhav Kutuhalam, Jatak Chandrika, Jataka Parijat, Jataka Pradeep, Phaladipika, Jatak Tattva, Yavana Jatakam, Uttarakalamritam, Prashna Tantra, Prashna Marga, Tazika Neelankanthi, Kheta Kautakam, Cahmatakara Chintamani. and so on and so forth, apart from all the books like Notable Horoscopes, Techniques of Predictive Astrology, Three Hundred Important Combinations, etc. etc. by Dr. B. V. Raman. As I could (and still can) read Urdu also I bought quite a few books published by Devi Dayal & Sons, Jullundur etc.

I must also have “seen†--- consulted ---- hundreds of horoscopes – of my friends, relatives, politicians, rich men, poor men and so on I became well known as an astrologer in Jammu and in Delhi People would flock to me for knowing their future, especially since it was “free of chargesâ€. Very often, my predictions proved correct but more often than not they just fell flat. I could not understand the mystery behind the same and the more failures there were the more books and magazines of astrology I would read, especially since none of the authors in the magazines seemed to be making any predictions which did not come true. It appeared to me that I was the only one making wrong predictions and I felt ashamed about the same. I thought maybe something was wrong with me! So I learnt Krishnamurti Padhati also but with the same 50 per cent rate of success! Similarly, I experimented with

other Ayanamshas like Ramana Ayamsha, Cyril Fagan Ayanamsha and so on, and then different Dasha Bhukti systems like Ashtotari, Yogini, Kalachakra etc.. but the overall tally of the “medals†by one ayanamsha/Dasha Bhukti was hardly any different from that of the other! It became clear to me very late in the day that even the “world famous†astrologers “goofed†--- perhaps more than I did, but then they neither felt sorry for it nor divulged their failures to their clients but bragged only about their “cent per cent rate of successâ€!

My brush with the “Western System†I am usually asked as to why I started publishing my "Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang" when there were already quite a few ephemrides and almanacs in the market. It has in fact an interesting history and I would like to share some of my adventures and misadventures with the readers of this esteemed magazine. It was way back in 1968 when I read an editorial by Dr. B. V. Raman in his Astrological Magazine that Western i.e. the tropical system of Secondary Progressions was quite useless for predictive work and not reliable at all since it had not been propagated by our Vedic Rishis, who adopted only nirayana (sidereal) system. I had the highest regard for him and believed his every word to be Gospel Truth. I,

therefore, vowed to myself to hoist the flag of nirayana system in every nook and corner of the globe. As I had already gone through all the important works on nirayana astrology, to prove that the Western system was useless, I had to learn it first since then and then only could I demonstrate it with practical illustrations as to how unfavourably it compared with nirayana system. With great difficulty, I arranged a lot of books on this system starting with Linda Goodman’s "Sun Signsâ€, Alan Leo's "Casting the Horoscope" and "The Progressed Horoscope" besides books by Evangeline Adams, Lewi Grant, Sepharial, Charles Carter, Julia Parker etc. etc. The first thing I did was to "X-Ray" my own horoscope with a critical view from both tropical and Indian systems. Somehow, it disturbed me to find that the delineations as per the Western system fitted in more than the Indian system. Even

the past events of my life could be timed more precisely and accurately by Secondary Progressions than by Dasha-Bhukti --- whether Ashtottari or Vimshotari or Kalachakra or Yogini, the one used in Kashmir mostly. Brushing it aside as an isolated case that could be an exception rather than the rule, I studied the horoscopes of my friends and relatives to prove the tropical system useless. There also somehow the delineations tallied more exactly with Western system than with Indian. What was more irritating was the fact that the timings of all the major events in their lives like deaths of relatives, accidents, loss of job or new jobs, marriage etc. etc. could be pinpointed more precisely as per Secondary Progressions than through Dasha Bhukti.

Birth of “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang†Having been thus caught on the wrong foot, I was literally at my wit's end! I must say I was at war with myself! How could the nirayana system of predictive astrology, supposed to have been propounded by our Vedic Rishis, get dwarfed in the presence of towering "Western" system supposed to have been propounded by Arabs - Yavanas! However, I could not wish away the facts! I started experimenting with different Ayanamshas again with the pious hope that maybe "X" Ayanamsha would deliver the goods in a better manner than "Y" Ayanamsha! There also, all the Ayanamshas let me down badly as compared to Secondary Progressions! Then I tried Jaimini system, supposedly propounded by Maharshi Jaimini of â€Poorva-Mimamsaâ€. Even there the "Western" system carried the day..

As a last resort, I took refuge in subs and sub-lords of K.P. System but the story was hardly any different! What cannot be cured has to be endured! Because I could not dismiss the success rate of "Western system" and its Secondary Progressions, I thought it better to share my experiences of that system with others. The first requisite for the same was to make a Panchanga of Tropical Planetary positions as well as nirayana planetary positions etc. (a two in one Panchanga!). available to the readers at no extra cost -- which would highlight some important points of that system. Thus was born “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchanga†with the first authentic edition appearing for 1984. I must “confess†that all along the high success rate of predictions as per the “alien†system as compared to dismal rate of success of my “native†system was rankling me! As

if by divine intervention, there appeared an article in the magazine section of “Indian Express†of March 23, 1983. It was titled “The Future of Mrs. G†by Peter Vidal, who was alive then. He had said in that article “The astrological picture with respect to her (Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s) fortunes changes in 1984/85 when Saturn moving through Scorpio, will be conjunct with her natal sun and her progressed sun will be opposite Neptune...Political support and alliances which have supported Mrs. Gandhi in power will start to disintegrate. Double dealing and stab-in-the-back will become more of a reality. The Neptune aspect predisposes involvement in political scandals and suggests the need to institute a tighter check on all aspects of her administration, starting in the autumn of 1984. Mrs. Gandhi will be susceptible to a let down involving people she has trustedâ€. I checked all the types of Dasha Bhuktis that

Mrs. Indira Gandhi would be running in the second half of 1984. They all indicated a glorious period. I cross-checked the results as per other Ayanamshas also but even then there was no difference. I scanned all the vernacular and English language magazines and Panchangas of astrology avidly to see if any nirayana astrologer had anything to say against Mrs. G. No. All of them were of a firm view that she would have a difficult yet glorious future. So I thought that at long last here was a golden opportunity to prove the superiority of nirayana system vis-à-vis the “Western†system. I thus declared boldly on page 63 of my 1984 ephemeris, “With due deference to the author (i.e. Peter Vidal), I do not know whether he knows Dasha-Bhukti system, but after reading these lines, I made it a point this time to cross-check the ‘verdict’ of tropical system with sidereal system first...the net result being that though she will have a tumultuous period

from October 1984 to August 1987, yet she will ride rough shod over these, gaining success ultimatelyâ€.

Indira Gandhi’s assassination was a turning point in my life: Sadly, my nirayana prediction met its Waterloo on October 31, 1984 when Indira Gandhi was actually “stabbed in the back†by “the people she had trustedâ€. I would not have been rattled so much if it had been a normal death for her, but an assassination was something that could be least expected as per “Indian astrologyâ€. What irritated me all the more was as to why such a momentous event had not been foreseen by anyone as per nirayana Dasha Bhuktis whereas a “Videshi†system had hit the bull’s eye before one and a half year of the event! Surprisingly, even after such an earth shaking event had taken place no nirayana astrologer could unravel satisfactorily the astrological mystery as to what were the pointers to such a

happening. I felt so let down by the system supposed to have been propagated by our Rishis that I did not publish my ephemeris for 1985 and 1986 since I could not muster courage to dive deeper into the fundamentals. But then to pacify my bruised ego, with my tongue in the cheeks, I tried to explain the assassination as per Dasha Bhuktis in my 1987 ephemeris--- without, however, carrying conviction even with myself.

I decide to take the bull by the horns: I was left with three options: (1) either to disbelieve predictive astrology completely, or (2) to continue to live in a fool’s paradise by cliff-hanging to a system that had “ditched†me, or (3) to find the real reason of success behind the “alien†system being able to hit the bull’s eye. I could not give up astrology because my personal experience and the prediction by Peter Vidal were overwhelmingly convincing that the “Western†system was more accurate. So I decided to confront the situation head on! Indian culture and Dharma being ingrained in my blood, I could not reconcile to the fact that tropical system could be successful unless it was based on our ancient scriptures including the Vedas. So right from November 1984, I started studying Sidhantic astronomy because tropical astrology could never be correct unless the tropical

astronomy itself was based on our sidhantas. The first work of my study was the “Surya Sidhantaâ€, the fountainhead of Indian sidhantic astronomy, the original Sanskrit edition with “Sudhavarshini†commentary by Sudhakar Dwivedi besides other Hindi and English commentaries etc. I also studied quite a few other sidhantic works like the Vedanga Jyotisha (1300 BC), Aryabhatti, Shishyadhivridhida, Panchasidhantika of Varahamihira (5th century AD), Munjala’s Laghumanasa (10th century AD), Bhaskaracharya’s Sidhanta Shiromani (12th century AD), Grahalaghava (16th century AD) and so on besides quite a few important works of modern astronomy. Going through these books with a toothcomb, I was wonder-struck to find that except for Grahalaghava, not a single work had referred to any so called nirayana Rashichakra. According to these sidhantas, Makara Sankranti was another name of Uttarayana -- Winter Solstice, when the day is the shortest and Mesha

Sankranti that of Vishuva., Vernal Equinox, when the day and night are equal. Not being satisfied with Sidhanta granthas, I thought maybe our scriptures have referred to some nirayana Rashichakra. Therefore, I studied with due care all the sacred books of our religion

“Vedic astrology†vis-à-vis “Kaliyugi Jyotish†In this context, I am reproducing below a self-eloquent “Open Letter†titled “Vedic astrology†vis-à-vis “Kaliyugi Jyotish†to the Hindu newspaper which was sent to them for publication in response to some articles/Open Letters by Dr. David Frawley alias “Pandit Vamdev Sastri†and Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet etc. regarding the discussion on Vedas vis-à-vis astrology. I have made some slight amendments in that article keeping in view our Kashmiri festivals etc. It goes as: It is interesting ---though no less amusing--- to find in the “Open Page†of June 18 and July 9 etc. of the “Hindu†that the discussions on the dates of the Vedas involve planets and “Vedic astrology†as well! Since “Pandit Vamadeva Sastri†alias Dr. David Frawley, presently the President of “American Council of Vedic Astrologersâ€

is actually better known as a “professional Vedic astrologer†than anything else, Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet has thus touched a raw nerve (Open Page – July 9) when she said, “Vedic Astrology is actually a misnomer. It has little to do with the Vedas….The Rigveda is replete with references to what is now considered a tropical zodiac…..To make connection with that ancient (Vedic) culture, we have to leave aside our conditioned preferences and vested interests..†Now a days, however, a different “cultural identity†of Indians as a whole as “Vedic astrologers†is being presented to the world especially by such overseas “Vamadevasâ€. It is an open secret that they persuaded Indian “Jyotishis†to declare the nirayana hocus-pocus as “Vedic astrology†since that would get them more overseas clients and thus more money and “lecture trips†across the oceans. Our “Varahamihiras†and “Parasharas†fell for this ploy hook,

line and sinker as there is nothing more rewarding financially as well as status-wise than practicing “Vedic astrology†these days!

“Vedic astrology†and “Vedic (nirayana) Panchangas†have done immense harm to Hindu Dharma: It is this very “Vedic astrology†than anything else that has done more harm to that very “Vedic Dharma†which the “Vedic Astrologers†are trying to “save†since it has compelled us through its “nirayana panchangas†to celebrate all our festivals and religious ceremonies, the main cultural identity of any nation, on wrong days and muhurtas. I am therefore going to analyze this issue of the so called nirayana zodiacs and “Vedic astrology†thoroughly since it has denuded us of our actual cultural heritage and simultaneously hypnotized us with such pithy statements as “Vedic astrology is recognized throughout the world now so much so that even Western astrologers are practicing itâ€. As it is this very “Vedic astrology†that is going to be taught in our

Universities, it needs a thorough spectroscopic analysis.

First of all my credentials: Though I am not laying any claims to being a “Rishiâ€, however, I have personally studied all the four Vedas in original “archaic†Sanskrit with their different “Bhashyasâ€, besides the various Brahmanas like Shatapatha, Aitreya, Tatiriya etc. etc. – again, with their Bhashyas! I have studied, (in original Sanskrit!) about two hundred all the important and “not so important†Upanishads as well! I have also gone through both the epics viz. the Valmiki Ramayana and the Mahabharata --- in chaste Sanskrit and from cover to cover besides Adhyatma Ramayana, Ramacharitamanasa etc. etc.! There is hardly any Purana including the Bhagavata, Shivapurana, Vishnu, Narada, Devi, Varaha, Matsya and Vishnudharmotara etc. etc. that I have not gone through in original Sanskrit! Besides, I am neither an “imported†nor a

self-styled but a real Kashmiri Pandit -- a Saraswat Brahmin, born in the line of those very Rishis who practiced penance on the banks of the Saraswati thousands of years back. Vedic Richas are therefore in my genes! I do not have any honorific titles like “Sastri†but I possess actually a hard earned certificate of having cleared Shastri examination (Honours in Sanskrti) from Kashmir University --- though I do not wear it around my neck! I have also studied exhaustively all the ancient astronomical works like the Vedanga Jyotisha, Surya Sidhanta, Panchasidhantika, etc. etc. I was not a born renegade against the established traditions. On the other hand, I was initially “hypnotized†by “Vedic astrology†and “nirayana panchangas†myself and there is hardly any “text-book†of astrology either in Sanskrit or Urdu or English or Hindi that I have not studied with due reverence, as if I was studying the Vedas! However, later I woke to the

real situation, thanks to my good past karma. Fortunately, my parents have named me as a namesake of “Krishen†---so that people repeat His name even unwittingly (like Ajamil of the Bhagavata!) --- though I never claim that I am His Incarnation! Thus my credentials are impeccable in all respects!

There is no astrology in the Vedas and no nirayana zodiac in any of the Puranas etc. either! Having established my credentials thus, WITH ALL THE EMPHASIS AT MY COMMAND, I CAN DECLARE IT WITHOUT ANY HESITATION THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PREDECTIVE ASTROLGY --- MUCH LESS A SO CALLED NIRAYANA ASTROLOGY --- IN ANY OF THE VEDAS, UPANISHADAS OR BRAHMANAS. There are, however, some odd references to predictive astrology in some of the Puranas and the epics and therefore calling it as really a post-Vedic astrology is quite correct. There is a rider there also, and that is that THE SO CALLED NIRAYANA RASHICHAKRA DOES NOT EXIST NOT ONLY IN ANY OF THE VEDAS, BRAHMANAS, UPANISHADAS BUT EVEN IN THE MANUMSRITI, PURANAS AND EPICS ETC. ETC. since according to these scriptures Makara Sankranti/Pongal is nothing but a synonym of Uttarayana (the shortest day of the year)

i.e Winter Solstice and Vishuva (Vernal Equinox) another name of Mesha Sankranti and so on. There is absolutely no indication that any sankranti can have any independent existence to the exclusion of its being linked with the relevant season as is evident by the names of Vedic months viz. Tapah, Tapasya, Madhu, Madhava etc.!

Jyotish as a Vedanga does not mean astrology but astronomy: Jyotish has been described as a “Vedanga†– a limb of the Vedic lore. Actually in ancient times, as in modern India, proper timings –Muhurtas---with reference to proper seasons, months and tithi etc. were, and still are, a must for conducting any ritual like Yajnya (sacrifice) or ceremonies like Yajnyopavita (sacred threading), marriage etc. It was also necessary to ascertain in advance the dates of eclipses etc. It was for this purpose that astronomical works were necessary for determining these geographical/astronomical phenomena. These very astronomical works come under “Jyotishaâ€, the earliest example being that of Vedanga Jyotisha, which literally means “Jyotisha as a limb of the Vedasâ€. It is also known as Rik Jyotisham and explains the method of determining the lunar and

solar years besides the seasons and “Malamasa†etc. It has absolutely nothing to do with any predictive astrology since excepting for the sun and moon, all the other planets are conspicuous by their absence. Similarly, Yajuh Jyotish verse 4 says that astronomical calculations (and not astrological predictions!) are the crown jewel of the Vedanga! To crown it all, there are no rashis i.e. astrological signs like Mesha (Aries), Vrisha (Taurus) etc. in the Vedanga Jyotisha, whether Rik-Jyotisha or Yajur-Jyotisham. Same is the case with all the later works like the Surya Sidhanta etc. Though there are rashis and planets in the Surya Sidhanta, but they are only for calculating the phenomena of tithi, nakshatra etc. and not for predictive purposes. As late as 12th century AD, Bhaskaracharya has said in his “Sidhanta Shiromani†1/9, “The Vedas advise us to perform rituals/sacrifices etc.. Those need proper timings. As only astronomical works enable

us to determine those proper timings, that is why Jyotisha is known as a Vedangaâ€. Thus Jyotish as Vedanga does not mean predictive astrologhy at all as per the Vedaanga Jhyotisha or the Puranas or the sidhantas, but only the science of calculating phenomena correctly for deciding the timings of Yajnyas etc.

Astrological predictions could never be correct in the past. Till a few centuries back, before the advent of modern astronomy into India i.e. till about sixteenth century AD, Indian Panchangas were prepared either from the Surya Sidhanta or some other similar astronomical work like Aryabhati or Khanda Khadyaka or Grahalaghava etc. etc. None of the Sidhantas agree with one another least of all with the modern astronomy--- Aryabhati gives different fundamental astronomical arguments from that of the Surya Sidhanta and the latter does not tally with any other Sidhanta. Besides, all the “Vedic astrologers†including the minister for astrology, now admit that none of the fundamental arguments of these Sidhantas or Karna Granthas like Graha Laghava is correct. Astrological predictions are made from horoscopes which were prepared from Panchangas before the

advent of computers, which is a very recent phenomenon. Thus when the fundamental parameters on which these Panchangas were prepared in ancient India till a few centuries back were incorrect, how could the astrological predictions based on such incorrect horoscopes be correct? It is therefore height of ignorance and double standards to say that our ancestors in the ancient past made correct predictions from horoscopes though they made incorrect Panchangas from which those horoscopes were prepared! It is like saying that in spite of the mathematical calculations and/or data of a mathematical question being incorrect, the result (answer) will be correct! That is like having the cake and eating it as well! Hence “Vedic astrology†cannot be supposed to have been taught by our Vedic Rishis.

Lunar months also are related to a Sayana Rashichakra: As per these very scriptures and sidhantas lunar months, including intercalary months, also were decided on the basis of seasonal years i.e. tropical Rashichakra (Rigveda 1/25/8 and Shatapatha Br. 3/2/1/27 and 6/3/3) In this connection, I refer to page No.559-560 of a Hindi translation of the relevant Mantra of the Rigveda, by Shivnath Ahitagni and Pandit Shankardatt Shastri, based on the Bhashya of Sayanacharya. It was originally published in 1904 AD, exactly a hundred years back. It says very clearly that a solar year ranges from the ingress of the sun into Sayana i.e Tropical Aries to another ingress of tropical Aries i.e. from one Vernal Equinox to another and the thirteenth lunar month is to be calculated accordingly It is to be noted that it has specifically pointed out that the solar year has

to be a tropical one and not a sidereal one for deciding the adhikamasa i.e. excess month/intercalation. This alone should settle the issue once for all that all the festivals and adhika/kshyaya masas etc. are to be decided as per the tropical and not some Lahiri or Ramana year, much less a so called sidereal zodiac! And that is why Vaishakha and not Shravana was an adhika-masa (inter-calary month) in 2004.

No commentator has referred to any nirayana zodiac: I have also gone through the Bhashyas of Shankaracharya on all the eleven Upanishads besides the Brahmasutras and the Gita – Prasthan Trayee as it is called --- and in none of those Bhashyas there is any reference to any PREDICTIVE ASTROLOGY much less to the so called nirayana zodiac! Same is the case with Shri Gyaneshwar ji in his Jnyaneshwari etc.

No ancient astronomical work is referring to any nirayana zodiac even by mistake: All our astronomical works starting from the Vedanga Jyotisha (c1300 BC), Paitamaha Sidhanta; Vasishtha sidhanta; Paulisha Sidhanta; the Surya Sidhanta (4th century AD), Aryabhati, Vateshwara sidhanta, Shishyadhivridhida and even Bhaskaracharya’s Sidhantashiromani of twelfth century AD refer to nothing but a tropical Rashichakra since they have said unequivocally that Makara Sankranti and Uttarayana (Winter Solstice) or Mesha Sankranti and Vishuva (Vernal Equinox) are synonyms! Same is the case with Varahamihira’s Panchasidhantika and Brihatsamhita----no mention of any ayanamsha or any nirayana rashichakra anywhere!

Historical proofs also are against nirayana zodiac: Then coming to historical facts, there are innumerable references to nothing but a Sayana Rashichakra in the monumental work of Alberuni’s India --- a travelogue of eleventh century AD --- translated by Dr. Edward C. Sachau and reprinted by S. Chand and Co. in India in 1964. It does not at all mention even by mistake any so called nirayana rashichakra being used in India then. e.g., page 2 of Vol II (Chapter XLIX) of this work states that the lunar New Year of Hejira 422 (Shaka-kala 953) started on February 25, 1031, a Thursday, and it could be possible only if a Sayana Rashichakra was used as Lahiri or Raman or Kharegat or Fagan (though by then unborn!) or any other nirayana Lunar New year would fall only on March 26, 1031 -- exactly a month later as is happening these days. (For further details,

please see my Shri Krishen Ephemeris for 2001 -- page 92) Akbarnama by Abul-Fazl (Vol II, page 78) published by Asiatic Society, Calcutta, says that India celebrated a solar New Year on 28th Rab-as-Sani. 963 (Hejira) i.e. March 11, 1556 AD “at 10 hrs. 40 minutes of the astronomical night†---- and that was almost the exact time of Vernal Equinox (Meshadi / Vaishakhi) even as per modern astronomy, instead of some Lahiri Mesha Sankranti that would have taken place on March 27, 1556, at 21h 19 minutes -- a gap of 17 days --- the difference of (an unborn) Lahiri Ayanamsha then! Similarly, “The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to India—1615 to 19—as narrated in his journals and correspondence†reprinted by Asian Publishers, Jullundur in 1993 has this to say, “11-3-1616: The Naorose began in the evening. It is a custom of solemnizing the Hindu new year….it commences on the day when the sun in his splendour moves to Aries …when money and other

things are given away in presentsâ€. It is to be noted that March 11, 1616--- the day of Vernal Equinox --- is of Julian Calendar. Here also, Lahiri Meshadi would take place 18 days later!

27 (or 28 if we include Abhijita as well) nakshatra divisions also are related to a sayana zodiac: The nakshatra divisions – which are actually entirely unrelated to constellations off similar names and more often known by “Lunar mansions†or --- as by Alberuni --- “lunar stationsâ€-- have been related to only a seasonal zodiac by all the Puranas and sidhantas. Even the monk-commentator Anandabodha Yati, who flourished around 12th/13th century AD, in his Tatparya Prakasha Commentary of the “Yogavasishtha Maharamayana†has referred to tithi, nakshatras and (Vishkumbha, Preeti etc.) yogas as related to only a seasonal i.e. tropical zodiac vide Nirvan. Prakran, 1st half, chapter 81!

Manjula (or Munjala) was the first Indian astronomer to advise precessional corrections: It must also be put on record here that Munjala (most probably of North India – Kashmir), in his “Laghumanasa†has given “Dhruvakas†for Shaka 854 (932 AD) as per the mean elements of planets with reference to the works of Surya Sidhanta, Aryabhattiya etc. but then he had advised that right from Shaka 444 (522 A.D.) one arc-minute per year is to be added to the same to make them tally with the actual positions of the sun, moon and planets. Thus by adding 6° 50’ to the mean elements of not only the sun but to all the other planets and the moon on March 10, 932 AD, he has arrived at the longitudes which tally exactly with the mean elements (Sayana, of course!) derived as per modern astronomy! ALBERUNI HAS HAILED THIS WORK – WHICH HE HAS REFERRED TO AS

“PUNJALA’S SMALL MANASA†AS A MILESTONE IN INDIAN ASTRONOMY SINCE IT HAD HIT THE BULL’S EYE BY CORRECTING THE ERRORS THAT HAD BEEN DETECTED IN WORKS LIKE THE SURYA SIDHANTA ETC.. In the same verse (1/5) wherein he has given the corrections for “Ayanachalana†Munjala has also made it very clear that the mean longitudes etc. are to be measured from “uttara-vishuvat†--- Vernal Equinox – and not from any so called “180° opposite to Chitra†or from Revati or “Lahiri†or “Ramana†Star etc.! Alberuni has also referred to “Vishnudharmottara Purana†times without number as being an authority for deciding the fasts and festivals in India then, and not so surprisingly, in this work, Uttarayana is said to be an incarnation of Vishnu (I-56/17). As per the same work again, days and nights are equal on Mesha and Tula Sankrantis! (I-73/9).

The credit for discovering “Ayanachalana†- Precession of Equinoxes -- first of all in India goes to Munjala: It is thus conclusively proved that Munjala (or Manjula, as he is sometimes known) had discovered the “Ayanachalana†--- precession of Equinoxes --- before any other astronomer in India had referred to it so unambiguously!

Utpala of Kahsmir had used tropical longitudes in tenth century as per Alberuni: On page 366 of his travelogue, Alberuni says, “No doubt, also, other people have perceived the same or a similar difference by means of the calculation of the noon-shadow. Therefore, as this observation was already much known, Utpala of Kashmir has taken this theory from Punjala.†It means that having found the discrepancy between the observed equinoxes and the calculated ones of the Surya Sidhanta etc. Utpala also had followed the observed positions instead of some imaginary ones arrived at by calculations from the sidhantas.

Prashastidhara of Kashmir had written a commentary on Laghumanasa which had become famous and was used for making Panchangas from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari Kripa Shankar Shukla, M.A., D.Litt., F.N.A.Sc. former Head, Department of Mathematics and Astronomy, Lucknow University, has written a critical commentary on Laghmanasa, published by Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, in 1990. He has consulted all the various manuscripts and commentaries on the same and this is what he has to say on page 50, under the heading “Popularity of Laghumanasaâ€: “The Laghumanasa was written in A. D. 932 A.D. and it soon attained its status as an important work on astronomy. It is not known where exactly its author Manjula lived and wrote this work but there is no doubt that within a few years the merit of this work was established and its fame reached Kashmir and

only 26 years after its composition, the Kashmirean astronomer Prasastidhara regarded it as a suitable work for writing a commentary on it. Writes he (Prasastidhara) in his commentary: ‘Since this work is small, written with no less effort, accurate and universal, and computations based on it accord with observation, I deem it a great honour in writing a commentary on it.’ Prasastidhara’s commentary explained the text and demonstrated the working of the rules by solving typical problems in astronomy and continued to be used for a long time. The use of this commentary was not confined to Kashmir alone. Its fame reached as far south as Gangai-konda-Colapuram (in south Tamil Nadu). The celebrated commentator Suryadeva Yajva who belonged to that place has mentioned it and recommended its use….†On page 18 K. S. Shukla has said, “That Prasastidhara belonged to Kashmir is confirmed by the testimony of the commentator Suryadeva Yajva (1248 AD). It

appears that after Utpala had carried the new methods of sidhantic astronomy, as adumbrated by Munjala in his Laghumanasa, to Kashmir, Prasastidhara, a veteran astronomer, wrote a commentary on the same so that it could be easily understood by his local and other Panchangamakers. It is, therefore, a matter of shame that Kashmiri Panchangakars (besides other panchanga-makers of India) resorted to Grahalaghava bidding a good-bye to Prasastidhara’s commentary on Laghumanasa which was used by everybody from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari till a few centuries back.

Abhinavgupt’s Tantraloka should serve as a beacon of light for Kashmiri Pandits (besides other yogis and Shaiva scholars) as a whole especially for Kashmiri Panchangamakers: Kashmir was regarded as the most advanced part of India in Shaivism. Much of the credit for the same goes to the great Shaivite, Acharya Abhinavgupt, who was a master-yogi also.. His prayers like “Ati bheeshana Katu-Bhashana†and “Vyapta Charachara Bhava Vishesham†etc. are still reverberating in my ears as these were recited by my maternal grandfather almost ever day during “Thokur pooza†(morning worship). “Tantralokaâ€, an internationally acclaimed monumental work of eight volumes by the same Acharya was published originally by Ranabir Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Jammu and later reprinted by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Delhi. It also contains a commentary by

Jayaratha. As everybody knows, the revered Acharya flourished in the tenth century AD and was thus a contemporary of Manjula and also Prasastidhara as well as Utpala. Jayaratha, the commentator of Tantraloka, lived around 12th century AD. To crown it all, Tantraloka (6/114-200) of Abhinavgupta contains explicit references that Makara Sankranti is another name of Winter Solstice and Mesha Sankranti that of Vernal Equinox and so on. If any doubt could be expressed even in the least about the original references, Jayaratha has laid those to rest completely.

Publishing so called nirayana Kashmiri and other Jantris/panchangas is an affront to Acharya Abhinavgupt: Nobody knowing even a bit of astronomy can say that the so called (though actually non-existent) nirayana zodiac and (the real) sayana zodiac was the same during the Acharya’s time because. as we shall see shortly, right from 285 AD, there would be a difference of one day every seventy two years in actual solar sankranti like Makara or Mesha etc. and Lahiri Makar or Mesha Sankranti. In the tenth century the nirayana snakrantis would have thus been ahead by about eight days, and days and nights on such Mesha sankrantis could never be equal nor could such Lahiri Makar Sankrantis be the shortest day of the year etc. It is therefore extremely tragic that just for the filth of lucre, some vested interests are defending the indefensible that the

Panchanga/Jantri based on Grahalaghava that Kashmiri Pandits, nay the entire Hindu society as a whole, have been compelled to use for centuries was the most accurate one when actually it has been against the set rules laid down by even the Acharya for deciding solar sankrantis and thereby lunar months.

Even the present preceptor-cum-guru-cum-mentor of “Vijayeshwar Jantri†does not believe in nirayana but only sayana longitudes to be used for horoscopes and muhurtas etc. as per Dharmashastras and sidhantas etc. As seen already. Vijayeshwar Jantri/Panchang is being now published “under the guidance†of Shri Priyavrat Sharma of Martand Panchangam. This is what Shri Sharma had said on page 52/53 of his Martand Panchanga for 1992-93, “There is a cumulative difference of 23/24 days over the last about 1500 years as compared to the seasons. Our festivals have therefore advanced by about 24 days vis-à-vis the relevant seasons. This difference will go on increasing day by day. To rectify this problem of 23/24 days should be the main concern of our panchangamakers. This cumulative difference is because of Precession of Equinoxesâ€. It means thus a

time will come when it will be Shishir ritu (Winter) actually while we will be doing the (nirayana) “sankalpa†of Grishma ritu (Summer). About the so called Chitra Ayanamsha which Martand Panchangam and Vijayeshwar Jantri (besides almost 99.9% of other Panchangas including the Rashtriya Panchanga) are using at present, Prof Priyarat Sharma has said on page 235 of his Hindi work “Grahayog Aur Dampatya Jeevanâ€, “Chitra Ayanamsha is neither as per the Shastras nor as per modern astronomy……Chitrapaksha longitudes are as per an unreal and fictitious---First point of Aries. They can therefore never give correct results in predictive astrology….It is not possible to give up this ayanamsha now because the astrologers etc. will have to admit clearly that whatever predictions they had been making, the muhurtas they had been preparing and also the matching of horoscopes they were doing in the past was all baseless and they will have to throw such

panchangas and horoscopes into dustbinâ€. Needless to reiterate here that “Chitrapaksha†is another name of “Lahiri†Ayanamsha though it has nothing to do with the star Chitra.

“Medicine should not be wasted even if the patient dies because the doctor has prescribed wrong medicineâ€. The sumum-bonum of this discourse of Shri Priyavrat Sharma, the mentor of Vijayeshwar Jantri/Panchang, is that we should continue to follow wrong panchangas even if we have to celebrate marriages in Shradhapaksha and vice versa or to celebrate Pitramavasya when it is actually Dipavali because otherwise we will have to throw all our earlier horoscopes and panchangas etc. into dustbin, which will be a financial loss for Panchangamakers and matchmakers etc. In other words, how does it matter if the patient dies because the doctor had prescribed some wrong medicine deliberately. Other patients should continue to take the remnants of that very medicine so that the “doctor sahib†does not suffer a financial loss! That is what is meant by the greed

for the filth of lucre!

Ganesha Daivagya put the cart before the horse: Surprisingly, Ganesha Daivagya in sixteenth century, via his “Grahalaghava†put the cart before the horse by advising to deduct one arc minute per year from Shaka 444 onwards from the tropical longitudes --- exactly opposite to what Munjala had advised more than six hundred years before him. Our Panchanga-makers, especially the Kashmiri “Jantri-makers†adopted this method without “using their brains†and caring two hoots for Acharya Abhinavgupta’s, astronomer Prasastidhar’s and the injunctions of the Vedas because of the ease it afforded them in calculating planetary longitudes etc. --- thus landing the whole of “Rishi Bhoomi†--- particularly “Kashyapmar†in unmanageable problems which were aggravated infinitely by “Vedic astrologers†and other vested interests later by following

the same so called “nirayana rashichakraâ€. Thus, Graha Laghava, instead of being a valuable astronomical work, is actually the worst culprit for spreading the nirayana mess and thereby adharma in this country.. And that is what Vijayeshwar Jantri (besides other nahcangas) had been following till 1997-98 and Brahmana Mahamandal is following even today.

Surya Sidhanta ayanamsha verses are interpolations: It is said that planetary longitudes were taken to be “nirayana†because there are references to Ayanamsha in the Surya Sidhanta. Though there are supposed to be three verses in the Surya Sidhanta (Tri. Pr. Adh. 6-12) “proclaiming†ayanamsha corrections, however, all the “Vedic astrologers†themselves know and declare openly that they are interpolations, inserted after Munjala’s Laghumanasa had come into vogue. If, on the other hand, we accept those verses as belonging to the original Surya Sidhanta then these days we have to subtract (instead of adding) about 24° from the so called nirayana longitudes of the Surya Sidhanta to make them sayana! A ridiculous and ludicrous situation!

Even the Ayanamsha names indicate that no Ayanamsha exists at all! These days the most common Ayanamshas are Lahiri, (there cannot be any “Chitra Ayanamsha†at all, which it is euphemistically called! --- see my ephemeris for 2001) Ramana, Kharegat and Cyril Fagan Ayanamsha. All these “Ayanamsha creators†were born in the twentieth century and most of them also died in the same century. Since they “invented†the Ayanamshas of their names, it is but obvious that no ayanamsha could have predated them e.g., Lahiri Ayanamsha could not have been “bornâ€: or “invented†prior to Lahiri; Ramana Ayanamsha could not have been “invented†or born before Dr. B. V. Raman and so on. In other words, they gave birth to “nirayana zodiacs†and being imaginary, those zodiacs can not outlive their “creatorsâ€!

No “Vedic astrology†book suggests any Ayanamsha: These days whenever any horoscope or event is discussed as per “Vedic astrologyâ€, the “Vedic astrologer†has to clarify compulsorily as to what Ayanamsha he is using, whether Lahiri or Ramana or any other, even though he may not have to declare as to which “text book†he is referring to! Surprisingly, none of the ancient “text books†like Brihat Jatakam, Brihat Parashari, Mansagari, Phaladeepika or Jataka Parijata etc mentions having used any Ayanamsha whatsoever. It is thus in itself a proof that all those “text books†of “Vedic astrology†are based on a Sayana zodiac, because if any Ayanamsha would have existed then they would certainly have referred to the same!

Parashara could never have written any nirayana astrology books: Brihat Parashari is said to be the “bible†of “Vedic astrologersâ€. Though there are about half a dozen versions of this work, none agreeing with the other, yet all are said to have been “dictated†by Maharshi Parashara, the father of Vedavyasa. Let us pretend to agree that all the versions have actually been â€written†by Parashara himself. Maharshi Parashara has also recited/narrated the “Vishnupuranaâ€. The eighth Adhyaya in Second Amsha of this Purana is full of astronomical/geographical references. It states clearly in verses 27 to 31 and then again in verses 65 to 74 that the days and nights are equal on both the Vishuvas (Equinoxes), which are known as Mesha and Tula Sankrantis. ….Day is the shortest on Makara Sankranti, also known as Uttarayana and longest on

Karkata Sankranti, also known as Dakshinayanaâ€. If Maharshi Parashara has really narrated some Brihat Parashari to Maitreya, he would certainly not have done so on the basis of some imaginary nirayana rashichakra as against the natural seasonal one because in his time there was a difference of at least 50 degrees between the “nirayana†and sayana longitudes, as we shall shortly see.

Bhagwan Ram could not have been born in a nirayana rashichakra when Maharshi Valmiki and Adhyatma Ramayana and Goswami Tulsidas etc. refer only to a seasonal calendar: The Valmiki Ramayaha (1/13/1-18) says that after six “Ritus†passed and “Vasanta†came again….â€. Similarly, Adhyatma Ramayana, 1/3-14 says, “It was the month of Madhuâ€. This can happen only when we write an obituary to all the nirayana rashichakras as otherwise the Vedic month Madhu and Vasanta Ritu have no meaning in any nirayana Rashichakra! Obviously, these days we are celebrating Rama Navmi when it is neither Madhu nor Vasanta, thanks to the untiring efforts of these “Vedic astrologers†of propagating hundreds of nirayana Rashichakras!

To say that Bhagwan Krishen was born in some nirayana Rashichakra is to disbelieve all the Puranas and the epics: Vedavyasa’s Srimad Bhagvata (5/21/3-6) says the same thing what Maharshi Parashar had said, “The days and nights are equal on Mesha and Tula Sankrantis†and (5/22/3-5) â€The sun passes through twelve Rashis (signs) related to six seasonsâ€. Then in 12/11/29-45 it links the various months like Madhu etc. to lunar months. Obviously, when we presume that Bhagwan Krishen was born on Shravana (Bhadra as per Gauna-mana) Krishna Ashtami in rainy season about 5000 years back, it can be possible only if we cremate the nirayana Rashichakras once for all as otherwise the seasons and nirayana rashichakras can never go together!

“Back-calculating†Shri Ram’s and Shri Krishen’s horoscopes is the latest gimmick of “Vedic Astrologersâ€, and also a proof of their bankruptcy of scriptural and astronomical knowledge: A new bee has entered the bonnet of these “Vedic Astrologers†of late! They want to prove the astrological worthiness of the divine incarnations by back calculating their horoscopes! Dr. Vartak Padmakar Vishnu, MBBS, has published a book named “Vastav Ramayana†in Marathi. His article was published in March 1984 (page259) of the Astrological Magazine under the heading “The Exact Birth Date of Sri Ramaâ€.. According to him Shri Rama was born on Tuesday, December 4, 7323 BC though as per the same author in the same article Mahabharata war had started on October 16, 5561 BC. He has made a fantastic statement on page 260 of the same issue of AM, (i)

“Today (i.e. 1979 when he had written that book) the sun is 246° on 23 December. The equinoxes move back by 50.2 seconds per year. 7323 + 1979 = 9302. 9302 X 50.2 = 129°.71122. 246 + 129=375. 375-360=15°. So 15° will be the position of the sun on 23rd December 7323 BC. This comes in Aries and near the exalted place of the sun 10°. So whatever Valmiki has written is absolutely correctâ€. Then on page 306 he says, (ii) â€Amavasya was on 25th November 7323 BC. 353° is the zone of Revati where Amavasya took place. Hence the next month was Chaitra and on its 9th day there could have been Punarvasu Nakshatra, the date being 4th December 7323 BC. Hence Rama’s birth-date is fixed as 4th December 7323 BCâ€. Now let us analyze his first statement: He has not clarified anywhere as to what precession of equinoxes has to do with the actual longitude of the sun. If he means Ayanamsha, then he has to adjust it in the longitudes of all the planets and not

only in that of the sun. Actually all the modern astronomical calculations are done on the basis of Julian days/years and the duration of the same is 365.25 mean solar days per year whereas the duration of a tropical year is 365.242195 days. The difference between a tropical solar year and a Julian year is thus -.007805 days. Between December 23, 7323 BC and December 23, 1979 AD, there are 7322+1979 = 9301 years. The difference in Julian and tropical years thus comes to 9301 X .007805 = 72.59557315 days. As the sun moves 360° in about 365.242195 days the movement in these days would be (360/365.242195) X 72.59557315 = 71.55363611 degrees. Sun entered Capricorn (Sayana) on December 22, 1979 at 16-39 IST. On December 23, 1979 it was about 271° (Sayana). Hence the tropical longitude of the sun on December 23, 7323 BC could have been 271° - 71.5 = 199.5° On December 4 it should have been 199.5 minus 19 = 179.5°. Add to it the differential ten degrees

of Gregorian and Julian Era. The longitude becomes 189.5°. The Ephemeris Time (TDT) difference on Decmber 23, 1979 was hardly one minute but in 7323 BC it was about 3 days. It would thus be about 192.5°. The actual “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on that date was 103° 40’. Thus if Dr. Vartak wanted to calculate the so called (though unborn Lahiri) nirayana longitudes of planets at that distant date, all he had to do was to add 103.7° to their sayana longitudes and the same would be (for sun) 193.5° + 103.7° = 297°. We have also to take into account all the secular variations. Besides, the length of days and years in the past ten thousand years has never been constant. There is difference in the Obliquity of the Ecliptic as well. The actual planetary position on December 4, 7323 BC at 12 Noon LMT at Ayodhya, as per modern astronomy, after making approximate corrections of about 250000 seconds of time for ET is: Sun 201°, Moon 313°, Mercury

174°, Venus 242°, Mars 282°, Jupiter 336° ®, Saturn 132° and True Rahu 63° “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on that date being +103°.7, Lahiri longitudes are: Sun 305°, Moon 57°, Mercury 278°, Venus 346°, Mars 25°, Jupiter 80° ®, Saturn 236°, True Rahu 167° These tally almost exactly with the longitudes etc. derived by A. P. Singh in December 1984 AM and as confirmed by me in my ephemeris for 1988 – page 85. In those calculations, ET corrections have not been taken into account. Therefore, the longitudes arrived at by Dr. Vartak are neither nirayana, nor sayana nor based either on modern astronomy or on any sidhanta. Besides, as you can see, not even a single condition of Maharshi Valmiki gets fulfilled. So Dr. Vartak is taking everybody for a ride and “Vedic Astrologers†are endorsing his “great and sincere efforts†in that direction!

No two “Vedic Astrologers†agree even on the date of brith of Shri Rama: However, an “astronomer royal of Kashmir†C.L Nagri, had this to say in “Koshur Samacharâ€, page 21 of August 2001 issue, “It was during this period that Sri Ram was born. February 22-23, 7323 BC is the probable epoch….The complete chart thus prepared on these lines confirms four exaltations and one own house placement, excluding Rahu and Ketu, besides other conditions like Madhu month, mid-day birth etc. All this has worked out strictly in tune with the descriptions made in the Ramayana…â€. On the one hand Dr. Vartak finds the planetary position in tune with that of Ramayana if Sri Rama was born on December 4, 7323 but “astronomer royal†C. L. Nagri finds the conditions fulfilled if Sri Rama was born on February 22-23 of the same year---earlier by ten months

exactly! What a confusion! Let us see the planetary position on February 22, 7323 BC at 12 Noon LMT of Ayodhya also after making the necessary corrections for ET:: The Sayana position is: Sun 279°, Moon 156°, Mercury 300°, Venus 252°, Mars 208°, Jupiter 314°, Saturn 121° ®, True Rahu 81° “almighty†Lahiri planetary positions on that date, with an Ayanamsha of +103°.7 are: Sun 23°, Moon 260°, Mercury 44°, Venus 355°, Mars 312°, Jupiter 57°, Saturn 224° ®, True Rahu 184°. It is quite clear that even the “astronomer royal†of Kashmir has given wrong information about the birth date of Sri Rama and neither nirayana nor sayana longitudes on that date tally with the conditions that Valmiki had laid

So called nirayana zodiacs themselves confirm their non-existence in the past: To put succinctly, Ayanamsha means the difference in degrees between the Sayana and so called nirayana longitudes of a planet. As per these “Vedic Astrologers†Lahiri Ayanamsha in 285 AD was zero. The average rate of precession is 50â€.29 per year. Therefore, as per these very “Vedic Astrologersâ€, there is a change of one degree in Ayanamsha every 72 years.. As we know, the sun moves about one degree a day. In other words, the nirayana and sayana sankrantis, and therefore, solar longitudes will differ from one another by that number of days as the differential years are the multiples of 72 years since 285 AD. e.g. these days i.e. 2004 it will be (2004-285) = 1719/72 1719/72 = 23.875 (say 24°). It means “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha these days must be about -24°

which it actually is. As the year 2004 is after 285, the Ayanamsha is minus i.e. we have to subtract it from sayana longitudes to make them nirayana. Therefore, if the real Makara Sankranti is on December 21 these days, Lahiri Makar Sankranti will be on 21+24=15 i.e. on January 14/15 of the next year. It is also clear that if Ayanamsha sign is minus, the sayana sankranti is earlier by that number of days from the so called nirayna sankranti and if it is plus, the sayana sankranti will be after that number of days of the nirayana sankranti. Between 7323 BC and 285 AD the total number of years elapsed was 7322+285=7607 years. Divided by 72, it comes to about +105°.5. It means that “almighty†Lahiri ayanamsha in 7322 BC was about 105°.5 plus. However, the exact Lahiri Ayanamsha then, as we have seen, was about +103° 40’. Therefore, the actual Makara or Mesha Sankrantis would have taken place after about 104 days of Lahiri Makara or Mesha

Sankrantis! We must not forget that the Vedic months Madhu, Madhava and the seasons like Vasanta etc. have nothing to do with Lahiri or Ramana or Khargeat zodiacs or such sankrantis! They (Vedic sankrantis) are just dependent on solar declination and therefore its tropical longitudes! So it is impossible for Vasanta Ritu and Madhumasa to have coincided with any Lahiri Mina sankranti. To top it all neither on February 22 nor on December 4 in 7323 BC the sun was in Lahiri Mina but it was 5 degrees of Kumbha and 23 degrees of Mesha respectively. The tropical sun being in Tula on December 4, 7323 BC, it was but Sharad Ritu and on February 22 of the same year it was Shishir Ritu! It is thus abundantly clear that however hard these “Vedic Astrologers†try, they cannot wish away the situation that about 9000 years back the month of Madhu, Vasanta Ritu and Lahiri Mina/Mesha Sun could never have coincided! Same is the case with the horoscopes of Shri Krishen

etc. as “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on July 18, 3222 BC was about 50° that is sayana and nirayana sankrantis were away by 50 days from one another!. It thus confirms what I have been emphasizing: The so called nirayana zodiacs neither existed in the past nor do they exist at present! There is, therefore, no possibility of their being born now, in spite of the very “best efforts†of “Vedic Astrologers†to procreate them!

Modern astronomy vis-à-vis “Vedic Astrologyâ€â€”a square peg in a round hole: It also defies imagination as to how Dr. Vartak has calculated longitudes for such a distant past on the basis of a “semi-modern†astronomy that also for the birth date of Bhagwan Shri Rama when these “Vedic Astrologers†decry modern scientists and astronomers as anti-Vedic because most of them do not believe in the hocus-pocus called Vedic Astrology as it does not exist in the Vedas at all! There was also an interesting comment by Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara on page 77 of the Astrological Magazine of January 2000, “There is no doubt that great and painstaking effort has gone into Dr. Vartak’s studies covering important events in the Ramayana. The efforts of scholars like Dr. Vartak that synthesize and integrate known historical events with Vedic astrology (sic!)

are milestones in the long and elaborate studies…â€. Then on the same page he says, “The reverse calculations showed the years 5352 and 7120 BC satisfying the specific planetary positions….†Needless to say that reverse calculations are as per modern astronomy! Even Dr. Raman had got the horoscopes of Shri Krishen, Gautam Budha, Jesus Christ and Shankaracharya etc. for his “Notable Horoscopes†calculated by Cyril Fagan as per modern astronomy! These “Vedic Astrologers†themselves shout from the housetops that modern astronomy is hardly a few centuries old. So Maharshi Valmiki or Garg or the family priest of Gautama Budha etc. could not have calculated Bhagwan Ram’s, or Shri Krishen’s or Gautama Budha’s horoscopes as per the mean elements provided by Newcombe, Brown or Leverrier and Gailot etc.. that Dr. Vartak and company have used. If at all Valmiki and other Rishis had calculated such horoscopes those should have been as per the

Surya Sidhanta since no other sidhanta prior to that mentions astrological signs even by mistake nor do they contain any calculations for determining planetary longitudes etc. though Paitamaha sidhanta etc. are said to have existed from day one of the present creation! Modern astronomy is thus actually a square peg in the round hole of “Vedic Astrologyâ€

Bhagwan Ram is still alive and kicking (and waiting for “Vedic Astrologers†and ministers for astrology to enthrone Him again!): Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara has written a very long series of articles in the Astrological Magazine under the heading “Reflections on Ramayanaâ€. It is really surprising as to how he has “appreciated†the dates of Sri Rama’s birth as 7323 BC etc. The Valmiki Ramayana, in the very first Chapter of Balakanda, verse 96, states that “Rama ruled for eleven thousand years and then went to Brahmalokaâ€! Thus if Sri Rama was born in 7323 BC He will shed his mortal coil in about 4000 AD! (Maybe that is why “Vedic Astrologers†with the help of ministers for astrology are trying to usher in Rama Rajya since He must be waiting in the wings for their assistance as Kaliyugi Ravanas must have usurped His kingdom again! May be

also that is why “Vedic Astrology†is going to be made a core subject in our universities--- to select the proper muhurtas for His coronation! ) Then as per verse 11 of Chapter 20 of Balakanda, Dashratha says that he had been without a child for sixty thousand years! How do these “Vedic Astrologers†reconcile such statements of the Valmiki Ramayana with the date of birth of Sri Rama as 7323 BC? There are quite a few reference of such type not only in the Ramayana but in other Puranas also. If these verses are interpolations in the Valmiki Ramayana then what is the guarantee that the planetary position of Sri Rama’s birth in itself is not an interpolation? Or does it mean that only such portions as do not suit the fancies of “Vedic Astrologers†are interpolations and the rest are not? But then we cannot have the cake and eat it as well!

“Vedic Astrologers†themselves are at loggerheads: Dr. Vartak has been very persistent that his calculations are most accurate and as late as August 2001 as per his letter on Page 724 of the AM he has said, “I have fixed the date of Sri Rama’s birth as 4th December 7323 BC and the date of Mahabharata war as 16th October 5561 BC. Thus the difference between the two events is 1762 years. Dwapara Yuga consists of 2000 years and so matches my dates. Yugas in lakhs of years are used only for astronomical calculations. Therefore they are known as Divya years. Div means sky. So Divya years are to be used for astronomical calculations and not for human years….The genealogy given in the Puranas does not show 8,64,000 years between Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. It shows only 1700 yearsâ€. B. V. Raman, supposed to be “greatest Vedic Astrologer†had given

the birth date of Shri Krishna as July 19, 3228 BC and the date of His departure to His eternal abode as February 18, 3102 BC.. Dr. Vartak, another “doyen among Vedic Astrologers†says Mahabharta war started on October 16, 5561 BC. That means Mahabharata war started even before Bhagwan Krishna was born! Then according to these very “Vedic Astrologers†Kaliyuga started immediately on “Bhagwan Krishen shuffling off his mortal coil†i.e. February 18, 3102 BC. So Mahabharta war started before 2459 years of Shri Krishna having passed away! By the same logic, there was a gap of 2459 years between the date of Mahabharta war and the advent of Kaliyuga! Only “Vedic Astrologers†can tell us as to what Yuga it was in between.

“Vedic Astrologers†are making a laughing stock of themselves: “Pandit Vamadev Sastri†-- who is also the President of “Amercina Council of Vedic Astrologers†has said in March 1995 Astrological Magazine, “Bhishma shed off his mortal coil in 1800 BC!†though in the same article he also has calculated the date of beginning of Kaliyuga as February 18, 3102 BC. Thus Bhishma died 1300 years after Kaliyuga had started. Accordingly, as per the chronology of events fixed by “Vedic Astrologers†themselves, a) â€Shri Ram was born either on February 22 or December 4, 7323 BC and since as per the same Ramayana as per which His ‘horoscope’ has been prepared, He is bound to rule for eleven thousand years, He will shed off his mortal coil in 4000 AD – about two thousand years from today! In the meantime, however, b) Mahabharata war started on

October 16, 5561 BC (Shri Ram was still alive and ruling!) c) Dr. Raman has “proved†through “Vedic Astrology†in his “Notable Horoscopes†that Shri Krishen was born on July 19, 3228 BC (2300 years after Mahabharata war had ended!) Thus He even passed away without witnessing it! Shri Ram was (and is!) still alive, though! d) Kaliyuga started on February 18, 3102 BC ---2400 years after Mahabharata war ended and when it was still Rama Rajya though Shri Krishen had already passed away! e) Bhishma died in 1800 BC – thus he waited on his death bed of arrows for 4700 years after Mahabharata war had ended and about 1300 years of Shri Krishen passing away and after an equal number of years of Kaliyuga had gone by! Shri Ram was still ruling though! f) Shri Ram is still alive (and maybe hiding somewhere lest He be asked by “Vedic Astrologers†to reveal the secret of His having survived 5000 years of Kaliyuga as these “astrologers†want to

outlive everybody to make “Vedic astrology†immortal!) As you have seen, all this “chronology†is just to “establish†the “sovereign empire†of “Vedic Astrologyâ€. So long live the chronology fixed by “Vedic Astrologers†and their “Vedic Astrologyâ€

Kaliyuga has a longer life than Dwapar Yuga: The question that begs an answer from these “Vedic Astrologers†especially the “Presidents†of their “Councils†is that as everybody knows, Shri Rama was born in Tretayuga and Shri Krishen in Dwapar Yuga. It means that Dwapar Yuga lasted only for a maximum number of 7323 minus 3102 i.e. about 4200 years. However, as per “Nirayana bible†viz “almighty†Lahiri’s Ephemeris itself, Kali Era in 2004 is 5105! It means it has already enjoyed a longevity of about one thousand years more than Dwapara Yuga! I do not know whether to laugh or shed tears for such an “omniscience†of these “Vedic Astrologersâ€. But in fact the only thing we can do is to cry on such despondency that these “Vedic Astrologers†have rendered us to because they have hypnotized the ministers of Vedic Astrology and

even the Shankaracharyas who cannot see the writing on the wall.

“Shortest day of the year†cannot be “a bit less or more shorter than the shortest†– nor can “A day=night†be “a bit less or more equal than equal†Now reverting to our original topic of definitions of Uttaryana etc. when these nirayana-versus sayana anomalies were brought to the notice of “Vedic astrologers†some of them had said that it could be that different interpretations were given to different criteria in the past just as the Upanishads etc. have different “commentaries by different acharyas subscribing to different viewpointsâ€. However, it is fallacious to presume that anybody can interpret the definition of Makara Sankranti/ Uttarayana as being a “bit less or more shorter than the shortest†nor can anyone interpret “day=night†as “a bit less or more equal than equalâ€. In mathematics, if A=B and B=C then

without any doubt A=C. Similarly, if as per the Vedas, Puranas, and our sidhantas etc., Makar Sankranti is another name of Uttarayana it has to be the shortest day of the year (Winter Solstice) and if Mesha/Tula Sankrantis are equivalents of Vishuvas, then the days and nights have to be equal on such occasions – Vernal and Autumn Equinoxes. There can be no two opinions, much less interpretations in such cases, since the scriptures as well as the sidhantas themselves have laid down the criteria of such phenomena unambiguously.

“Sidereal zodiac†is a creation of “Vedic astrologersâ€: If you consult any dictionary, you will find the definition of “sidereal†as “pertaining to the constellation or the fixed starsâ€. In any astronomical work, whether sidhantic or modern, you will find the definitions of “sidereal monthâ€, “sidereal timeâ€, “sidereal year†and so on but you will not find any “sidereal zodiac†listed anywhere. Similarly, you will find the definition of tropical as “suggestive of tropicsâ€. There is “Tropic of Cancer†and “Tropic of Capricornâ€. Then there are definitions of “tropical year†and “tropical month†but no definition of a tropical zodiac anywhere in any book. It is not difficult to guess the reason behind the “tropical†and “sidereal†zodiacs being conspicuous by their absence – because the zodiac is

just one! Even Lahiri’s Ephemeris defines zodiac as â€An imaginary belt stretching about 9° north and south of the ecliptic, within which the planets and the moon remain in course of their movementsâ€. So if the “nirayana bible†itself declares zodiac to be just “one imaginary beltâ€: how can it be said that there are more than one zodiac - one tropical and the other sidereal, the latter having hundreds of different dimensions - like Lahiri Zodiac, Ramana zodiac and so on! No sane person in this world can therefore say that the “zodiac starts from Revati†or “180° opposite Chitra†or “from the point of sweet will of N. C. Lahiri†or “from the point Dr. B. V. Raman desires it to start†etc. etc. It is thus a non existent dichotomy, created by “Vedic astrologers†to keep themselves in business.

Nirayana zodiacs have thus actually killed our dharma: One shudders on seeing the consequences of following such topsy-turvy nirayana zodiacs! Nowadays we are celebrating Mahalaya (Pitra Amavasya) when actually it is Dipavali, like on October 6, 2002; Pongal/Makar Sankranti not on the day of Uttarayana i.e. around December 21/22, when it should be celebrated as per the Vedas and other scriptures, but around January14/15, since our “Vedic astrologers†advise us to do so! We also celebrate marriages during the actual Pitrapaksha like August 22 to September 6, 2002, and Pitrapaksha when it is actually auspicious time for celebrating marriages as per the Vedas like September 21 to October 6, 2002! Same is the case with other festivals like Maha Shivratri, Navratras, both Vasanti and Sharadiya (the names clearly indicate that they are related to seasons!),

Ramanavmi, Janmashatmi, Durga Puja, etc. etc. apart from Sarvartha Sidhi Yogas and so on!

Real Vedic astrology, if it exists at all, can never be based on nirayana zodiacs: The million dollar question I would like to put to all these “â€Vedic astrologers†is that even if somehow by closing our eyes to all the evidence that there is no predictive astrology in the Vedas, we agree for the sake of argument that there really is Vedic astrology, then how come they are basing it not on a seasonal year/zodiac --- which the Vedas advocate – but on other non-Vedic---thus anti-Vedic and imaginary--- hundreds of zodiacs like Ramana, Lahiri, Kharegat, Fagan, Surya Sidhanta, Grahalaghava, Revati, Chitra Rashichakra etc. etc. – just to name a few of them?

“Vamadevas†should have informed us about our celebrating festivals on wrong days: And the billion dollar question is as to why do these “Vamadevas†and “Varahamihiras†not tell our “ministers for astrologyâ€, who are eating out of their hands, that India is suffering not because of her external enemies but because Indian public in general (including the Budhists, the Jains etc.) are being made to celebrate all the festivals and muhurtas on the basis of wrong Rashichakras!

His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka had declared more than a 100 years back that sayana rashichakra alone was to be used for fairs, festivals and muhurtas: As per page 535 of “Bharatiya Jyotish†by S. B. Dikshit, (Hindi translation by Publications Division, UP), H H Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka, as per his edict No. 229 of Shaka year 1815 (1894 AD) had declared in unequivocal terms, “I find that the nirayana almanacs should be taken as extremely doubtful, since they do not give the correct time for performing the rites ordained by Shruti, Smriti and Puranas. As the sayana panchanga gives the proper times, this Samsthan of the Jagadguru, declares that the Sayana Panchanga should be regarded as a suitable almanac for performing religious rites….â€.

Gujarat is a burning example of bearing the fruit of celebrating festivals on wrong days: Personally, I feel that Gujarat is having maximum problems, both natural and man-made, because they are celebrating Pitra Amavasya when they should be celebrating Dipavali --- which is their Lunar New Year’s Day -- as per the Vedas e.g. October 6, 2002! It would have been really wise for them to have gone by the edict of H. H. Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka rather than by the edict of overseas “Vamadevas†and local “Parasharas†and “Varahamihirasâ€! (Proof of pudding is in the eating, as some so called “Vedic astrologers†are wont to say!)

Kashmiri Pandits lost their homeland because of celebrating festivals as per Vijayeshwar Jantri instead of the Vedas or Tantraloka etc. Same is the story of Kashmiri Pandits, who believed more in Vijayeshwar Jantri – based on Grahalaghava and Makaranda -- rather than the Vedas, Shivamahapurana or Tantraloka! Obviously you do not need enemies to ruin you if you have nirayana Panchangamakers to advise you!

Calendar Reform Committee never suggested a permanent nirayana zodiac/calendar: Even the Report of the Calendar Reform Committee, 1955, by which these “Vedic astrologers†swear had unanimously resolved (pages 4 to 7) that the so called nirayana rashichakra was to be adopted only for a very very short period and they had hoped (not against hope) that in the near future our festivals would be aligned to the relevant seasons in which they were celebrated in the Vedic period and also that of Kalidasa! The late N. C. Lahiri, the culprit number one for inventing Lahiri rashichakra, also had signed that unanimous resolution!

“Nirayana calendar makers are committing the entire Hindu society to adharmaâ€: The Calendar Reform Committee, 1955, has said on page 260 of its report, “In continuing to follow nirayana system, the Hindu calendar makers are under delusion that they are following the path of Dharma. They are actually committing the whole Hindu society to Adharmaâ€.

Matching of horoscopes a recent malady: Then again, why do these “Vedic astrologers†not inform the general public that the real Vamadevas were not addicted to the fad of “matching of horoscopes†as otherwise they would never have been able to marry! For that matter, why do they not tell us that there is no mention of such a malady in any of the scriptures or epics, nor in any of their so called “Vedic astrology†text books like Brihat Parashari or Mansagari etc.! Obviously, it is a fad (for fleecing the gullible!) being used only for the last about a century or so, since even Alberuni has not referred to it in his travelogue at all. If anyone says that he has seen some mention of such a “malady†in any scripture, he is taking us for a ride and I challenge him to quote the relevant chapter and verse of that scripture or epic.

Rashtriya Panchanga makers themselves are now “committing the entire Hindu society to Adharma†I had sent personal letters, by registered post, to the publishers of our Rashtriya Panchanga viz. Director General of Meteorology, New Delhi and also Director, Positional Astronomy Centre, Calcutta, apart from the Chairman, University Grants Commission, New Delhi and Chief Secretary of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi -- with copies to ministers for astrology, even the Prime Minister and the Home Minister --- nay even all the six Shankaracharyas---informing them about this sad plight-- but to no use! (If you so desire, copies of those letters can be sent to you also)

Dasha Bhuktis are concoctions of the worst order: As a Vedic Hindu, I have every right to know from these “Vedic astrologers†that if they are really interested in propagating the real “Vedic predictive astrologyâ€, (though there is no such astrology at all in the Vedas) then why do they not proclaim to the whole world that since tropical rashichakra has its moorings in the Vedas it is a product of India and not an original system of either Babylon or Arabia --- much less that of Western countries, who are still “teething†in astrology. “Pandit Vamadeva Sastri†should have been the “forerunner†of this “marathon race†if he wanted to propagate the real Vedic astrology, instead of propagating irrelevant, illogical and self-contradictory systems of Dasha Bhuktis – Vimshotari, Ashtotatri, Yogini, Kalachakra, Manduka, Pluta and so on

and so forth! None of these Dashas has been referred to in Brihat Jatakam of Varahamihira (5th century AD) -- the only original document of predictive astrology available today in its original form, nor does its commentator Bhatotpala (7th century AD) throw any light on them. Surprisingly, Alberuni does not refer to any such Dasha Bhuktis either though he has devoted several chapters to Indian predictive astrology in his travelogues. Evidently, these Dasha-Bhuktis are a product of a much later date --- a concoction of the worst order being peddled as Vedic astrology!

Varahamihira refers to many Greek words in his Brihat Jatakam etc.: It is surprising that we find, on the other hand, words like Sunapha, Anapha, Durdhura, Kemadruma etc. in Brihat Jatakam! These are not of Indian origin at all. Similarly, the names of rashis given by him have a Greek “stamp†on them on several occasions. He has also paid fulsome homage to Greek (yavana) astrologers in his works! It is therefore just possible that Dasha Bhuktis, as adumberated by Varahamihira, were of Greek origin. He has referred to Parashara as an astrologer also but he has not quoted anything from his work and it is also doubtful whether it is the same Parashara of Vishnu Purana he is talking about or it is some other astrologer of Parashara Gotra. It is also possible that Parashara’s book was not available even in 5th century AD. Its non-availability has been

confirmed by Bhatotpala (7th century AD) in his commentary on Brihat Jatakam. That also should be an eye opener to the readers that the half a dozen versions of Parasharis available in the market these days are concoctions of the worst order. “manufactured†by “Vedic Astrologers†just for fleecing the gullible. Tazika Nilakanthi contains all the material relevant only to “western aspects†like Itshal, mutshil etc. It is the only original work available on annual horoscopy in India. Euphemistically, it is called “Progressed†horoscope in “Indian†English! It has been adopted in toto with the only difference that here also, quite contrary to the original works of annual horoscopy, “Ayanamsha tonsure†to the longitudes is being advocated by “Vedic Astrologersâ€!

Being non-existent, nirayana zodiacs are the worst figments of imagination: Why also do these “Vedic astrologers†not tell the general public, who have become mesmerized by their gimmicks, that the hundreds of so called nirayana zodiacs are completely useless for any kind of predictive astrology as well not to speak of preparing a panchanga, e.g., to calculate sunrise, moonrise, eclipses or rising and setting of planets etc. etc. we need declinations of the sun, moon and planets ---which can never be obtained by dint of Lahiri, Raman, Fagan or Kharegat or any other nirayana planetary longitudes --- but only through the tropical ones. Similarly, even to calculate their own birth charts these “Vedic astrologers†need RAMC and ascensional difference etc. which can be obtained only through sayana longitudes! Even to decide heliacal rising or setting

(“Guru-Shukra astâ€) of planets for fixing suitable timings for marriages, tonsure etc. we need tropical longitudes! So zero cheers for the non-existent and therefore useless and hopeless “nirayana zodiacsâ€.

To admit existence of nirayana zodiacs is to betray one’s ignorance of the highest order: What is most surprising is as to how our ministers for astrology, who were also ministers for science, were “digesting†this most bizarre and unscientific “truth†that the nirayana and sayana zodiacs “coincided†sometime in the past! They seemed to be so hypnotized by these “Vedic astrologers†that they just forgot that there can be one and only one zodiac in the universe. All the sidhantas also refer to just one “Bhachakra†--- zodiac! Therefore, to say that there are more than one zodiac is to betray one’s ignorance of the highest order!

“Vested interests†are deliberately avoiding to take the bull by the horn: I must put on record that right from 1997 onwards I have been bringing all these glaring anomalies to the notice of all the “Vedic astrologers†besides our ministers and deputy ministers for astrology apart from all the six revered Shankaracharyas, through my annual SHRI KRISHEN UNIVERSAL EPHEMERIS AND PANCHANGA. Registered letters were also sent to most of the ministers and all the six Shankaracharyas, besides the Chairman, UGC, etc. but there was no response. It means that if in spite of being aware of all these fundamental anachronisms between the real Vedic i.e. sayana astronomy/astrology and the so called “Vedic astrology†based on hundreds of non-existent nirayana Rashichakras and Dasha-Bhuktis etc. these “Vedic astrologers†do not enlighten the general public

about the same, they must certainly have some “private†axe to grind -- “vested interests†in other words!

The only Vedic country is using all the non-Vedic zodiacs and calendars whereas all others are using the actual Vedic i.e. Sayana zodiac and calendars: Because of these vested interests alone, these “Vedic astrologers†have singled out the only Vedic country for making her embrace hundreds of non-Vedic (nirayana) Rashichakras (and therefore calendars), leaving the real Vedic Rashichakras (tropical zodiac and thus the seasonal calendar) for all the other “non-Vedic†countries of the world!

We have progressed by leaps and bounds only in “Vedic astrology†but not in astronomy: We got freedom from the alien rule in 1947 -- and if we make an impartial survey of all the departments in which we have progressed, “Vedic astrology†will outshine all the others put together. There are now thousands of magazines in every nook and corner of the country in every dialect on this subject. “Vedic astrologers†today outnumber their clients --- they are more than even the doctors, Vaidyas, homeopaths and quacks put together.! Almost every day, a dozen “research works†are published on this “divine†subject. Every politician and/or criminal is a “Vedic astrologerâ€! Ninety per cent of these “Vedic astrologers†use Lahiri’s Ephemeris or some other “Chitra Paksha Panchaga†or “Jantri†etc. All those panchangas acknowledge in one

form or the other, “We express our thanks to India Meteorological Deptt. for kindly supplying us the data used in this ephemerisâ€. In turn, the Director General of India Meteorological Department has obsequiously to admit in the “Indian Astronomical Ephemeris†and Rashtriya Panchanga year after year, “Our sincere thanks are due to the Superintendent, British Nautical Almanac Office, the Directors of the Nautical Almanac Offices of U. S. A. and of the Astronomisches Rechen Institue, Heidelberg for the data furnished by themâ€. Mind you, all these countries supplying the data are non-Vedic! Ironically, our minister of astrology was also the minister of science, under whom the India Meteorological Deptt. Works. One wonders why he did not consult its birth chart! Even otherwise, the “most prestigious astrological magazine†---- the “propagator number one†of “Vedic astrology†from India also gets its astronomical data every month in a

computer printed form from “Educational Sciences Corporation of Americaâ€---a non-Vedic country!

Astrology based on “Non-Vedic†data is “Vedicâ€! So long live the “divine works†on Indian astronomy viz. the Vedanga Jyotisha, Surya Sidhanta and Aryabhati etc. which have been “shelved†by these “Vedic astrologers†for eternity to rest in peace! No less ironically, the astrology based on these very data --- which are “sayanaâ€, of course, from the “upstarts of yesteryears†is termed as “Vedic†--- anything that touches the “alchemic†hands of “Vedic astrologers†becomes Vedic! Even “Pandit Vamadeva Sastriâ€, the non-Indian “Vedic astrologerâ€, is no exception as he also uses the astronomical data from non-Vedic observatories!

A “win-win†situation for “Vedic astrologersâ€: The implications of all this assessment boil down to: i) Even if someone does not know the names of the Vedas properly, (ii) Even if he does not know ABC of Sanskrit language; (iii) Even if he is a criminal convicted of all the heinous crimes listed in any Criminal Code in the world, but if he has read a few books on “Vedic astrology†and preferably “obtained†some “diploma†or “degree†from any of the hundreds of the “deemed to be universities†of “Vedic astrology†--- he is a “Vedic astrologer†and by implication --- a Vedic scholar! He is also “licensed†to fleece the public! No other “discipline†of education bestows so many honours and gifts for so little!

Propagating and practicing the so called “Vedic astrology†is a criminal offence under The Consumer Protection Act: Be that as it may, as we have seen, there is absolutely no predictive astrology in the Vedas, at least not the systems based on hundreds of the so called nirayana zodiacs and an equal number of Dasha-Bhuktis. Therefore, presenting such a system of predictions as “Vedic astrology†is a criminal offence under the Consumer Protection Act as it is a misrepresentation of the facts to the clients and the general public.

Nirayana rashichakras are an insult to the Vedas and other shastras: Initially, I could not “digest†the high praise bestowed by our shastras on performing rituals at (Sayana) Sankrantis especially those of Ayanas and Vishuvas. But later I found that our Rishis were the greatest scientists --- without any “observatories†at their disposal! Astronomically, the Equinoxes (and even the Solstices!) are “moving†because of Precession of Equinoxes. The earth is hurtling in its orbit around the sun and so is the ecliptic – though the speed of the ecliptic is quite small! The “nanoseconds†of the “conflux--Triveni†of these three “wandering bodies†are known as Vishuvas– Equinoxes! Similarly, the earth, after having attained the maximum Declination of North (on Uttarayana---Winter Solstice) or South (on Dakshinayana – Summer

Solstice) has to “halt†for a “moment†before “turning backâ€! All these “instants†are fleeting moments – lasting hardly for milli/nano-seconds! And that is why our Rishis said that it was almost impossible even for the Yogis to “catch hold of†such “fleeting momentsâ€! Exactly for the same reason, on the other hand, celebrating Makar Sankranti these days on January 14/15 is thus without any logic, rhyme or reason or sidhantic or astronomical support – and least of all as advised by our Shastras because there is no “conflux†or “halting†of the earth on such artificial Sankrantis despite innumerable “Ayanamsha†props! And the so called “Vedic astrology†is based on these very imaginary Rashichakras! Nirayana Rashichakras are thus an insult to the Vedas and other shastras.

Sayana Rashichakra is the only way to preserve the real national integration even among Hindus who are otherwise fighting among themselves like Kilkenny-cats about the accuracy of their “personal Ayanamshasâ€. These days we are following at least half a dozen Ayanamsha in India viz. Lahiri, (Rashtriya Panchanga etc. ), Chitra , Ramana (Raman’s Panchangas), Revati (Tilak Panchanga), Grahalaghava (Mani Ram’s Panchanga and Brahman Mahamandal Panchanchang) and Surya Sidhanta (Kashi Vishva Panchanga of Benaras Hindu University). All are adamant that their own Ayanamsha is the most scientific and shastric. However, they cannot adduce any proof to substantiate their arguments. On the other hand, there is always a lot of confusion about such festivals also like Makara Sankranti, Kumbha Mela, Adhikamasa etc. e.g. in 2001 there was no Adhika masa as per

Tilaka Panchanga or Ramana Panchanga/Ephemeris but as per Lahiri Panchagas there was an adhika Ashvina masa! The only logical and reasonable way to eliminate such a confusion is that we must adopt Sayana Rashichakra for all our festivals and fairs etc. since it is the only one sanctioned by all the Vedas, Puranas, Shastras and sidhantas also.

“Vedic astrology†must be re-christened as “Kaliyugi Jyotish†If these “Vedic astrologers†do not wake up to the situation even after reading this “Open Page†the only option we are left with is to re-christen the so called “Vedic astrology†as Kaliyugi Jyotish and all such “Vedic astrologers†as Kaliyugi Jyotishis as they are taking us for a ride deliberately.

Topocentric versus geocentric: The parting shot is that there is another anachronism going on in Indian Panchangas – topocentric versus geocentric longitudes of planets, especially the moon. Raphael’s Ephemeris had been hammering this point for the last several years and now even the “nirayana bible†viz. Lahiri’s Ephemeris for 2002 had to admit on page 5, “The longitudes are apparent geocentric positions as seen from the centre of the earth. The topocentric positions i.e.. the positions as seen by an observer at any specified point of the earth’s surface, slightly differ from the geocentric position, being 9 arc seconds for Sun, 62 arc minutes for Moon and 1 arc minute for planets.†Topocentric actually means longitudes for the concerned place e.g.. Delhi where this article is being prepared, after making corrections for horizontal

parallax. Geocentric, on the other hand, means longitudes for a non-existent imaginary place --- the “bowels†of the earth--- where temperatures range between 5000° and 7000° Celsius. The former is sanctioned and recommended even by our sidhantas and modern astronomy whereas the latter is adopted only by “Vedic astrologers†for calculating Dasha Bhuktis (thus making “correct predictions†from incorrect data!) and matching of horoscopes etc. besides working out tithi, nakshatra etc. from those very longitudes prepared for a non-existent place. We shall touch that “raw nerve†of Indian panchangas and Indian astrology in detail some other time in some other write up.

I will be glad to furnish any further clarifications via my email address: vedic Keeping in view all the anachronisms listed in this article, an All India Calendar Reform Committee was formed. It is going to be registered shortly. It is an open invitation to all the Biradari to join the same and be the beacon-lights for the community. Details of the same are given in the end of this article. Avtar Krishen KaulPublisherShri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & PanchangH No. 5, MIG, 00-A, Sector 2Avantika, RohiniDelhi-110085Ph. 27516483Email: jyotirvedOm Tat Sat Brahmarpanam Astu

All India Calendar Reform Committee

H. No.5, 00-A, Sector-2, Avantika, Rohini, Delhi-110085

 

 

 

To start with, the following will be the main activities of this committee as on Dec. 1, 2003: 1. It will strive for streamlining the Hindu calendar as per the canons of the Vedas, Puranas and Dharmashastras besides Sidhantas and modern astronomy, which are that all the religious festivals and Muhurtas etc. have to be aligned to the respective seasons and hence instead of an imaginary “sidereal zodiac†only tropical years and months, coupled with respective synodic/lunar months are to be followed. 2. The “nakshatra-chakra†of 27 equal nakshatras will also be aligned accordingly i.e. Ashvini nakshatra will be deemed to start from Vernal Equinox, as was done in Munjala’s and Alberun’s time i.e. in 11th century. 3. Solar year will start from the ingress of the sun into Mesha – i.e. Vernal Equinox and will be known

as Madhava and/or Vaishakha. The Vasanti lunar year will start on the Shukla Pratipat after the start of Vasanta Ritu i.e. the transit of the sun into (Sayana) Mina Rashi. All other festivals will follow accordingly in that order. Ayanas and Vishuvas – Solstices and Equinoxes--will be the four cardinal points of the rashichakra. 4. Only topocentric tithis, nakshatras etc., besides (at least) lunar longitudes, will be used for deciding the fairs and festivals since geocentric phenomena are for an imaginary location instead of some real one. Following are the members of this committee as on date: 1) Patron: Dr. Rahimal Prasad Tiwari, Bhattapara, PIN-493118, Dist. Raipur (Chhatisgarh); 2) President: Avtar Krishen Kaul (address as given in this letterhead); 3) Vice-President – North – Pt. Bholadatt Mahtolia, B/896, Avas Vikas (Udam Singh Nagar), Dist. Rudrapur, PIN-163153 (Uttaranchal); 4)

Vice-President—Central—Shri Madhu Gadakari. 1, Utalsar, Thane-400601 (Maharashtra); 5) General Secretary: Shri Darshaneya Lokesh, 74-C, Double Storey, Locoshed, Moradabad-244001 (UP); 6) Secretary: Shri Sanjay Kumar Mehta, Jale Hat, Jale, Darbhanga, PIN-847302 (Bihar) OM TATSAT BRAHMARPANAM ASTU

 

 

 

 

 

N.B. The festivals that have been enjoined by the Shastras are given above. Surprisingly, quite a few "Jyotishis" are still hypnotized by a non-existent “nirayana Lahiri†Rashichakra and also as the "majority of (Kaliyugi!) Panchangakars and Jyotishis†had proposed it to the "Calendar Reform Committee" in 1955, they had, much against their wishes, "endorsed" that very "Lahiri" Rashichakra for deciding fairs etc.. though they had made it very clear that it was only "as a very temporary measure". However, thanks to the "untiring efforts" of these "Kaliyugi Jyotishis" nobody has cared to implement the real recommendations of that very Committee with the result that the same "nirayana Rashichakra" is being used for fixing important Hindu festivals. Therefore, "Goverment holidays" are also being decided by the Rashtriya Panchanga etc. on the basis of that very non-existent Rashichakra. The real Vedic

festivals have been decided as follows1. Vernal Equinox has been taken as the start of the Vedic month Madhava ( Sayana Mesha Sankranti). and also the beginning of the solar year, starting from Vaishakha. All the other Sayana Sankrantis have been named as per subsequent Rashis e..g. Vrisha, Mithuna Sankranti. etc. (In fact, Rashtriya Panchanga also is showing Sayana Sankrantis as Vedic!) 2 . Names of solar months in vogue in India have been given simultaneously with their Vedic names e..g. "Madhav, Mesha, Vaishakh, Sankra." means it is Madhava, i.e. Sayana Mesha Sankranti which is the beginning of the solar month known as (solar) Vaishakha and Meshadi etc. These dates are for observing fasts etc. and may sometimes be plus/minus one day from the actual sankranti. 3. Lunar months have been named as per preceding solar Sayana Sankranti since that is what has been ordained by all the shastras which say that

Vaishakha is another name of Madhava—Vernal Equinox--and so on (Vishnudharmottara Purana etc). In the case of Lahiri lunar months they are neither as per the shastras nor as per Sidhantas nor modern astronomy -- but only decreed by “almighty†Lahiri and Lahiriwalas and followed blindly by all the Kaliyugi Jyotishis so that they do not lose their crumbs. It is obvious that these Kaliyugi Jyotishis are leading us towards darkness of adharma just for the filth of lucre. 5. All the festivals and fairs have been determined as per the prevailing criteria e.g. Vasanti Navaratras have been fixed as per the criterion "Chaitra Shukla Pratipat" with the only difference that Sayana Lunar Chaitra has followed Sayana solar Chaitra viz. transit of the sun into Sayana (and not the non-existent nirayana—Lahiri) Mina Rashi. 6. Lunar months have been named on Purnimanta pattern i.e. starting with Krishna Paksha as is done in

Northern India, UP, Bihar , Orissa etc. In other areas like Maharashtra , South India etc. Krishna Paksha has to be changed to earlier month, e.g. Magha Kri. Paks. means Pausha Krishna Paksha in such areas and so on. The beginning dates of lunar Shukla & Krishna. Paksha are meant for “Sankalpa†etc. Only Sayana topocentric tithi, nakshatras etc. for Delhi have been used while determining these festivals etc. 7. Intervening fasts etc. not given in this list, can be determined by the readers easily. 8. As per Muhurta-shastras, real and not “Lahiri†Dhanurmas, Kharmas, Adhika/Kshyayamas, Pitra-paksha etc. are to be avoided in auspicious ceremonies like marriage, tonsure etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

N.B. Just to increase the sales of his English/ Bengali ephemeris / Panchangas, an imaginary Rashichakra was invented by late N. C. Lahiri which was nearer to Grahalaghava in 1940s All other “Jyotishis†followed him like “blind following blind". Such "Lahiri festivals†are enjoy government holidays whereas there are no such holidays for the real Vedic fairs which it should actually be. Same is also the case with all the Muhurtas etc. E.g. Kharmas is actually from Feb 21 to March 20 and Dhanurmas from Nov.21 to Dec. 21 every year but our Kaliyugi Panchangakars & Jyotishis decide them as per their own whims to boost the sales of their Panchangas & ephemeris etc. Surprisinbgly there is no adhikamasa as per Surya Sidhanta,Grahalaghava,Tilaka or Ramana Panchanga etc in 2004 but only as per Lahir Rashichakra, which even our “Rashtriya Panchanga†and its ilk follows! What is reprehensible

is that instead of the real Vaishakha Mala- masa, these Lahiriwalas are prescribing Shravana adhikamas which will result in all the festivals becoming topsy-turvy! Better beware!

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Kulbir Ji,

 

Avtar Kishan Kaul is a true scholar, one of those few people active in

internet world who holds water and show gravity, but in his views he is

partially correct as well as partially incorrect.

 

It's true that now we celebrate our festivals in different days then

that of Vedic era but it's wrong that we are doing a mistake.

 

regards,

Lalit Mishra

 

 

 

 

Vedic Astrologyandhealing , Lalkitab Kb

<lalkitabkb wrote:

>

>

> Â

>

> Â

> http://www.aryasamaj.org/eng_art/do_celebrate_in_time.htm

> DO WE CELEBRATE OUR FESTIVALS ON CORRECT DAYS? NO, NOT AT ALL!

> By Avtar Krishen Kaul

> I was fascinated to see the response to my earlier articles “Do

we celebrate our festivals on correct days?†in March, April and

May 2001 issues of this esteemed magazine. It is a “live

demonstration†of the fact that Kashmiri Pandit community is

still alive and vibrating! May God make it realize its goals. Amen!

> Since astronomy †" whether sidhantic or Grahalaghava or modern -

is nothing but astrophysics, it should not be difficult to sift grain

from the chaff for any discerning reader, because unlike predictive

astrology, astronomy does not leave anything to chance or conjecture.

Therefore, I leave it to readers to decide for themselves, after reading

these articles, whether we are really celebrating our festivals on

correct days or not.

> Something about myself:I must digress here a bit and say something

about myself as to how I got “into†and “out

of†the so called “Hindu†astrology,

euphemistically known as Vedic astrology. I was born at my maternal

grandfather’s, late Nathji Shastri †" Pajnoo†" house

at Chundapora in Srinagar ! I am sure quite a few readers of this

magazine must have heard his name since he was the first Kashmiri Pandit

to have cleared Shastri from Benaras Hindu University in 19th century

and was a redoubtable astrologer. People would flock to him from far and

near since his predictions were said to be quite correct. I was hardly

12 years old when he passed away. However, he left a lot of rare books

on astrology, Vedanta, Puranas etc. etc. for me as a legacy. Most of

those books were in Sharda script. Being quite young at that stage and

not having much interest in Sanskrit, I did not pay any attention to

those books then. With the passage of time, while

> searching for a job, I had to consult a lot of Jyotishis for remedial

measures so that I could get a job -- preferably a government one. I

felt it at that time that I must also learn this “artâ€

myself as then I could understand the implications of various Yogas and

Dasha Bhuktis etc..

> Vijayeshwar Nechipatr was the most respected jantri:My maternal

grandfather would use invariably the only nechipatr (panchang) available

in Kashmir then --- Viajayeshwar in Sharda script, which his Guruji ---

the late Gopal Boyoo †" would deliver on every “Gora

†" treyâ€. We would also keep on consulting Hindi version of

the same Panchang --- more so for “Rahsiphal†and

“Bhadsharwar†etc. since Sharda was a bit difficult for us

at that time. My maternal grandfather and great-grandfather etc. must

have been using that nechipatr probably from the very first day of its

availability since I found later those annual panchangas for at least

fifty years available in his library. He used to prepare horoscopes from

those very panchangas. I was so fascinated by Vijayeshwar Jantri that

when I bought Rashtriya Panchanga from Kashmir Bookshop in Residency

Road for the first time in 1958 and compared the various festivals and

the planetary longitudes etc.

> with those of Vijayeshwar Panchang, I found that there was a lot of

difference in the ending moments of tithi, nakshatra etc. besides the

planetary longitudes. I did not know the difference between modern

astronomy or Grahalaghava or sidhantic calculations and was annoyed that

the publishers of Rashtriya Panchang had the hardihood to publish

something different from that of Vijayeshwar Panchang!

> One day in 1960 I went to consult G. C. Rampal, a famous astrologer,

at Needo’s Hotel opposite Polo Ground about my job. He asked me

to come after three days. When I went again, he had prepared a chart

much different in planetary positions etc. from the one my maternal

grandfather had prepared. I thought Mr. Rampal had made a wrong chart

but kept quiet out of respect for him. I lost all interest in the

predictions he had made, since if the very chart he had prepared for me

was “incorrectâ€, how could the predictions be correct.

> First shock of my life:Not having secured a job in Kashmir, I shifted

to Jammu in early 1963 -- after having cleared Prabhakar, Shastri and M.

A. etc. examinations from Kashmir University . I carried very few things

with me then -- but the horoscope prepared by my maternal grandfather

for me was a prized possession and I could not leave it behind me at

Srinagar . Since that horoscope was quite big -- a thick roll †"

and in Sharda, I had to learn that script as I wanted desperately to

understand as to what had been predicted by him about me in that

“Zatukâ€.

> There in Jammu , I saw for the first time in Pacca Danga the

Astrological Magazine by Dr. B. V. Raman and right from that date I have

not missed even a single issue of that magazine. I came across one

Jamwal Sahib there at a bookshop while buying that magazine and as he

also was interested in astrology, we became friends.. He was quite well

versed in this subject and wanted to see my horoscope. Gladly, I showed

to him the same “Zatuk†(horoscope) prepared by my

grandfather -- he was able to decipher Sharda script. It took him about

half an hour to make some calculations from “Lahiri’s

Condensed Ephemeris†that I saw for the first time then. His

verdict was, “your planetary positions are incorrectâ€! I

was shocked and told him in no uncertain terms that he must have gone

mad to say so since my horoscope had been prepared by none other than

the greatest astrologer of Kashmir †" Pt. Nathji Shastri!

> Jamwal Sahib had heard his name and was really an intelligent and

understanding gentleman. He smiled and asked me as to which Jantri my

grandfather was using. I told him that it was, of course, Vijayeshwara.

He said that it was not the fault of my grandfather but the Jantri he

had used for preparing my horoscope. He took out Rashtriya Panchang and

also Vijayeshwar for that year †" 1963 †" and showed to me

as to how different the timings of tithi, nakshatra besides the ingress

of planets etc. were. When I still insisted that Vijayshwar must be

correct and the other one wrong, he took out Lahiri’s Indian

Ephemeris for 1963 and showed as to how the Rashtriya Panchanga and that

ephemeris tallied exactly! He said that it could not be that both could

be incorrect and have same wrong longitudes etc. in every way! I was

immediately reminded of my dilemma with the accuracy of Rashtriya

Panchang when I had seen it for the first time and had therefore to

> stomach silently as to what Jamwalji had to say! But then this set me

a-thinking as to what was happening and why. At my residence in Jammu, I

compared the chart prepared by Mr. Jamwal with the one prepared by G. C.

Rampal †" and was surprised to find that both of them tallied

exactly! It was thus conclusively proved that Vijayeshwar Panchang was

definitely wrong. That was the first shock of my life that we in Kashmir

had been using a wrong nechipatr for God knows how long! Since then I

lost my faith completely in Vijayeshwar Jantri and though I would

purchase it regularly almost every year, but that was more out of a

habit and curiosity than anything else.

> Still not content with that “explanation†of Jamwalji, I

went to him the next day again and asked him as to how the predictions

made by my grandfather could come correct if the very panchanga he was

using was incorrect. Mr. Jamwal’s simple reply was that my

grandfather must have been a real “Rsihi†since he could

make correct predictions from incorrect data also whereas in those days

(1963) one could not make correct predictions even from correct data!

Mr. Jamwal was candid enough to admit that even his own predictions

failed quite often, though the calculations made by him were cent per

cent accurate.!

>

> Â Â Â Â Â I re-read the predictions made by Mr. G.C.

Rampal, but quite a few of them were much off the mark though the

calculations were quite correct as per “Lahiri’s

Ephemerisâ€

> Second shock of my life: Later on during lengthy discussions with Mr.

Jamwal I came to know that both Rashtriya Panchang and Lahiri’s

Ephemeris were accurate only because they were prepared from

“Nautical Almanac†which was published by Greenwich

Observatory and could be imported by any good bookseller in India from

“Her Majesty’s Stationary Office†in London . That

was the second shock of my life that to prepare a correct Panchanga even

the Government of India had to import material from “Her Majesty

…â€, In spite of being free, we were still not

“free†to prepare our own panchanga, though we claimed to

the whole world that our sidhantic astronomy was thousands of years old

and most accurate! Obviously, what cannot be cured has to be endured!

Mr. Jamwal was the first man to tell me that most probably Vijayeshwar

Panchanga was prepared from Grahalaghava and was therefore incorrect.

> Too little and too late: My worst fears got confirmed when the same

Vijayesshwar Panchang, that my ancestors and even myself---nay the whole

Kashmiri Pandit community--- had been holding in such high esteem,

declared on page 138 of its 1997-98 edition, “Till today we were

giving correct details only of eclipses etc. However, this year we have

been able to get the correct ending moments of Tithi, Nakshatra etc.

through the courtesy of Shri Priyavrat Sharma of Martand Panchangam. We

are therefore giving correct details of Nakshatra etc. now. However, we

are giving ending moments of tithis even this year as per Grahalaghava.

Though it was incumbent on us to give correct ending moments of Tithis

also but we have a competitor Panchang as well. Since that panchanga

gives the ending moments of Tithi etc. on the basis of Grahalaghava, our

correct (i.e. as per modern astronomy) ending moments of Tithis would

not tally with the same. In every Kashmiri household

> our Panchanga is worshipped like a divine book (because it was never

correct?!) On comparison with the other Panchanga they would have

presumed that our Panchanga was incorrect. We are therefore giving

incorrect ending moments to beat the competitionâ€.

>

> Â Â Â Â Â Have you ever seen such a brazen-faced

“confession†anywhere else except in Vijayeshwar

Panchang/Jantri? On the one hand they admit that they have been giving

wrong ending moments of planetary phenomena etc. for centuries -- from

the very inception of their Jantri --- and simultaneously they

“pray our indulgence†to continue to bear with such wrong

data because they have a competitor panchanga! We had been taking

Vijayeshwar as our friend, philosopher and guide in every matter and

every walk of our life and this is what we got in return! We must digest

the wrong data because they did not want to lose the sale of their

Panchanga! Instead of apologizing to the whole Kashmiri community with

folded hands for having been giving them wrong information and thus

misguiding them, all they are worried about is the sale of their

panchanga! They are also silent as to what Prayashchitam they were doing

about having been prescribing wrong Muhurtas

> and festivals etc. Obviously, the Janmapatris based on Vijayeshwar

Jantri also were incorrect and therefore, any patri-melapak based on the

same must have been absolutely wrong!That is what is exactly meant by

“too little and too lateâ€. (The “confessionâ€

page number quoted from the Vijayeshwar Jantri is from its Urdu edition

and the page number in its Hindi edition for 1997-98 is perhaps a

different one).

> I become a “veteran astrologerâ€: However, being out of

job, I did not have much to do at Jammu , except for

“hunting†for a job. So I literally “devoured

voraciously†every book on astrology I could find --- quite a few

I got from Srinagar from my grandfather’s library, the rest I

purchased from Jammu or by VPP from Delhi, Benaras, Bombay etc. Some of

the books were given to me for reading by Mr. Jamwal. Later when I came

to Delhi in 1967, and after I got my first job with a private company in

April 1967, the first thing I did with my salary was to buy some books

on astrology by Dr. B. V. Raman. It was a very sacred job for me to do!

To cut a long story short, there is hardly any book on Indian astrology

in original Sanskrit that I have not gone through with a lot of devotion

and reverence as if I was reading the Vedas! Some of those books are:

Brihat Parashara †" both Venkateshwar Press, Mumbai and Master

Khelari lal & Sons, Varanasi

> editions, Brihat Jatakam, Manasagari, Bhav Kutuhalam, Jatak Chandrika,

Jataka Parijat, Jataka Pradeep, Phaladipika, Jatak Tattva, Yavana

Jatakam, Uttarakalamritam, Prashna Tantra, Prashna Marga, Tazika

Neelankanthi, Kheta Kautakam, Cahmatakara Chintamani. and so on and so

forth, apart from all the books like Notable Horoscopes, Techniques of

Predictive Astrology, Three Hundred Important Combinations, etc. etc. by

Dr. B. V. Raman. As I could (and still can) read Urdu also I bought

quite a few books published by Devi Dayal & Sons, Jullundur etc.

> I must also have “seen†--- consulted ---- hundreds of

horoscopes †" of my friends, relatives, politicians, rich men,

poor men and so on I became well known as an astrologer in Jammu and in

Delhi People would flock to me for knowing their future, especially

since it was “free of chargesâ€. Very often, my predictions

proved correct but more often than not they just fell flat. I could not

understand the mystery behind the same and the more failures there were

the more books and magazines of astrology I would read, especially since

none of the authors in the magazines seemed to be making any predictions

which did not come true. It appeared to me that I was the only one

making wrong predictions and I felt ashamed about the same. I thought

maybe something was wrong with me! So I learnt Krishnamurti Padhati also

but with the same 50 per cent rate of success! Similarly, I experimented

with other Ayanamshas like Ramana Ayamsha, Cyril Fagan Ayanamsha and

> so on, and then different Dasha Bhukti systems like Ashtotari, Yogini,

Kalachakra etc. but the overall tally of the “medals†by

one ayanamsha/Dasha Bhukti was hardly any different from that of the

other! It became clear to me very late in the day that even the

“world famous†astrologers “goofed†---

perhaps more than I did, but then they neither felt sorry for it nor

divulged their failures to their clients but bragged only about their

“cent per cent rate of successâ€!

> My brush with the “Western Systemâ€Â    Â

I am usually asked as to why I started publishing my " Shri Krishen

Universal Ephemeris & Panchang " when there were already quite a few

ephemrides and almanacs in the market. It has in fact an interesting

history and I would like to share some of my adventures and

misadventures with the readers of this esteemed magazine.

> Â Â Â Â Â It was way back in 1968 when I read an

editorial by Dr. B. V. Raman in his Astrological Magazine that Western

i.e. the tropical system of Secondary Progressions was quite useless for

predictive work and not reliable at all since it had not been propagated

by our Vedic Rishis, who adopted only nirayana (sidereal) system. I had

the highest regard for him and believed his every word to be Gospel

Truth. I, therefore, vowed to myself to hoist the flag of nirayana

system in every nook and corner of the globe.

> Â Â Â Â Â As I had already gone through all the

important works on nirayana astrology, to prove that the Western system

was useless, I had to learn it first since then and then only could I

demonstrate it with practical illustrations as to how unfavourably it

compared with nirayana system.

> Â Â Â Â Â With great difficulty, I arranged a lot of

books on this system starting with Linda Goodman’s " Sun

Signsâ€, Alan Leo's " Casting the Horoscope " and " The Progressed

Horoscope " besides books by Evangeline Adams, Lewi Grant, Sepharial,

Charles Carter, Julia Parker etc. etc. The first thing I did was to

" X-Ray " my own horoscope with a critical view from both tropical and

Indian systems. Somehow, it disturbed me to find that the delineations

as per the Western system fitted in more than the Indian system. Even

the past events of my life could be timed more precisely and accurately

by Secondary Progressions than by Dasha-Bhukti --- whether Ashtottari or

Vimshotari or Kalachakra or Yogini, the one used in Kashmir mostly.

> Â Â Â Â Â Brushing it aside as an isolated case that

could be an exception rather than the rule, I studied the horoscopes of

my friends and relatives to prove the tropical system useless. There

also somehow the delineations tallied more exactly with Western system

than with Indian. What was more irritating was the fact that the timings

of all the major events in their lives like deaths of relatives,

accidents, loss of job or new jobs, marriage etc. etc. could be

pinpointed more precisely as per Secondary Progressions than through

Dasha Bhukti.

> Birth of “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchangâ€

> Â Â Â Â Â Having been thus caught on the wrong foot, I

was literally at my wit's end! I must say I was at war with myself! How

could the nirayana system of predictive astrology, supposed to have been

propounded by our Vedic Rishis, get dwarfed in the presence of towering

" Western " system supposed to have been propounded by Arabs - Yavanas!

However, I could not wish away the facts!

> Â Â Â Â Â I started experimenting with different

Ayanamshas again with the pious hope that maybe " X " Ayanamsha would

deliver the goods in a better manner than " Y " Ayanamsha! There also, all

the Ayanamshas let me down badly as compared to Secondary Progressions!

Then I tried Jaimini system, supposedly propounded by Maharshi Jaimini

of â€Poorva-Mimamsaâ€. Even there the " Western " system

carried the day. As a last resort, I took refuge in subs and sub-lords

of K.P. System but the story was hardly any different!

> Â Â Â Â Â What cannot be cured has to be endured!

Because I could not dismiss the success rate of " Western system " and its

Secondary Progressions, I thought it better to share my experiences of

that system with others.. The first requisite for the same was to make a

Panchanga of Tropical Planetary positions as well as nirayana planetary

positions etc. (a two in one Panchanga!). available to the readers at no

extra cost -- which would highlight some important points of that

system. Thus was born “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris &

Panchanga†with the first authentic edition appearing for 1984.

>      I must “confess†that all along

the high success rate of predictions as per the “alienâ€

system as compared to dismal rate of success of my

“native†system was rankling me! As if by divine

intervention, there appeared an article in the magazine section of

“Indian Express†of March 23, 1983. It was titled

“The Future of Mrs. G†by Peter Vidal, who was alive then.

He had said in that article “The astrological picture with

respect to her (Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s) fortunes changes in 1984/85

when Saturn moving through Scorpio, will be conjunct with her natal sun

and her progressed sun will be opposite Neptune...Political support and

alliances which have supported Mrs. Gandhi in power will start to

disintegrate. Double dealing and stab-in-the-back will become more of a

reality. The Neptune aspect predisposes involvement in political

scandals and suggests the need to institute a tighter check on all

aspects of her administration,

> starting in the autumn of 1984. Mrs. Gandhi will be susceptible to a

let down involving people she has trustedâ€.

> Â Â Â Â Â I checked all the types of Dasha Bhuktis that

Mrs. Indira Gandhi would be running in the second half of 1984. They all

indicated a glorious period. I cross-checked the results as per other

Ayanamshas also but even then there was no difference. I scanned all the

vernacular and English language magazines and Panchangas of astrology

avidly to see if any nirayana astrologer had anything to say against

Mrs. G. No. All of them were of a firm view that she would have a

difficult yet glorious future. So I thought that at long last here was a

golden opportunity to prove the superiority of nirayana system vis-Ã

-vis the “Western†system. I thus declared boldly on page

63 of my 1984 ephemeris, “With due deference to the author (i.e.

Peter Vidal), I do not know whether he knows Dasha-Bhukti system, but

after reading these lines, I made it a point this time to cross-check

the ‘verdict’ of tropical system with sidereal system

first...the net result

> being that though she will have a tumultuous period from October 1984

to August 1987, yet she will ride rough shod over these, gaining success

ultimatelyâ€.

> Indira Gandhi’s assassination was a turning point in my life:

> Â Â Â Â Â Sadly, my nirayana prediction met its

Waterloo on October 31, 1984 when Indira Gandhi was actually

“stabbed in the back†by “the people she had

trustedâ€. I would not have been rattled so much if it had been a

normal death for her, but an assassination was something that could be

least expected as per “Indian astrologyâ€. What irritated

me all the more was as to why such a momentous event had not been

foreseen by anyone as per nirayana Dasha Bhuktis whereas a

“Videshi†system had hit the bull’s eye before one

and a half year of the event! Surprisingly, even after such an earth

shaking event had taken place no nirayana astrologer could unravel

satisfactorily the astrological mystery as to what were the pointers to

such a happening. I felt so let down by the system supposed to have been

propagated by our Rishis that I did not publish my ephemeris for 1985

and 1986 since I could not muster courage to dive deeper into the

> fundamentals. But then to pacify my bruised ego, with my tongue in the

cheeks, I tried to explain the assassination as per Dasha Bhuktis in my

1987 ephemeris--- without, however, carrying conviction even with

myself.

> I decide to take the bull by the horns: I was left with three options:

(1) either to disbelieve predictive astrology completely, or (2) to

continue to live in a fool’s paradise by cliff-hanging to a

system that had “ditched†me, or (3) to find the real

reason of success behind the “alien†system being able to

hit the bull’s eye. I could not give up astrology because my

personal experience and the prediction by Peter Vidal were

overwhelmingly convincing that the “Western†system was

more accurate. So I decided to confront the situation head on! Indian

culture and Dharma being ingrained in my blood, I could not reconcile to

the fact that tropical system could be successful unless it was based on

our ancient scriptures including the Vedas. So right from November 1984,

I started studying Sidhantic astronomy because tropical astrology could

never be correct unless the tropical astronomy itself was based on our

sidhantas. The first work of my

> study was the “Surya Sidhantaâ€, the fountainhead of

Indian sidhantic astronomy, the original Sanskrit edition with

“Sudhavarshini†commentary by Sudhakar Dwivedi besides

other Hindi and English commentaries etc. I also studied quite a few

other sidhantic works like the Vedanga Jyotisha (1300 BC), Aryabhatti,

Shishyadhivridhida, Panchasidhantika of Varahamihira (5th century AD),

Munjala’s Laghumanasa (10th century AD), Bhaskaracharya’s

Sidhanta Shiromani (12th century AD), Grahalaghava (16th century AD) and

so on besides quite a few important works of modern astronomy. Going

through these books with a toothcomb, I was wonder-struck to find that

except for Grahalaghava, not a single work had referred to any so called

nirayana Rashichakra. According to these sidhantas, Makara Sankranti was

another name of Uttarayana -- Winter Solstice, when the day is the

shortest and Mesha Sankranti that of Vishuva., Vernal Equinox, when the

day and night are

> equal. Not being satisfied with Sidhanta granthas, I thought maybe our

scriptures have referred to some nirayana Rashichakra. Therefore, I

studied with due care all the sacred books of our religion

> “Vedic astrology†vis-à -vis “Kaliyugi

Jyotish†In this context, I am reproducing below a self-eloquent

“Open Letter†titled “Vedic astrologyâ€

vis-à -vis “Kaliyugi Jyotish†to the Hindu newspaper

which was sent to them for publication in response to some articles/Open

Letters by Dr. David Frawley alias “Pandit Vamdev Sastriâ€

and Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet etc. regarding the discussion on Vedas

vis-Ã -vis astrology. I have made some slight amendments in that

article keeping in view our Kashmiri festivals etc. It goes as: It is

interesting ---though no less amusing--- to find in the “Open

Page†of June 18 and July 9 etc. of the “Hinduâ€

that the discussions on the dates of the Vedas involve planets and

“Vedic astrology†as well! Since “Pandit Vamadeva

Sastri†alias Dr. David Frawley, presently the President of

“American Council of Vedic Astrologers†is actually better

known as a “professional Vedic astrologerâ€

> than anything else, Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet has thus touched a raw

nerve (Open Page †" July 9) when she said, “Vedic Astrology

is actually a misnomer. It has little to do with the Vedas….The

Rigveda is replete with references to what is now considered a tropical

zodiac…..To make connection with that ancient (Vedic) culture, we

have to leave aside our conditioned preferences and vested

interests..†Now a days, however, a different “cultural

identity†of Indians as a whole as “Vedic

astrologers†is being presented to the world especially by such

overseas “Vamadevasâ€. It is an open secret that they

persuaded Indian “Jyotishis†to declare the nirayana

hocus-pocus as “Vedic astrology†since that would get them

more overseas clients and thus more money and “lecture

trips†across the oceans. Our “Varahamihiras†and

“Parasharas†fell for this ploy hook, line and sinker as

there is nothing more rewarding financially as

> well as status-wise than practicing “Vedic astrologyâ€

these days!

> “Vedic astrology†and “Vedic (nirayana)

Panchangas†have done immense harm to Hindu Dharma: It is this

very “Vedic astrology†than anything else that has done

more harm to that very “Vedic Dharma†which the

“Vedic Astrologers†are trying to “saveâ€

since it has compelled us through its “nirayana

panchangas†to celebrate all our festivals and religious

ceremonies, the main cultural identity of any nation, on wrong days and

muhurtas. I am therefore going to analyze this issue of the so called

nirayana zodiacs and “Vedic astrology†thoroughly since it

has denuded us of our actual cultural heritage and simultaneously

hypnotized us with such pithy statements as “Vedic astrology is

recognized throughout the world now so much so that even Western

astrologers are practicing itâ€. As it is this very “Vedic

astrology†that is going to be taught in our Universities, it

needs a thorough spectroscopic analysis.

> First of all my credentials:

> Â Â Â Â Â Though I am not laying any claims to being a

“Rishiâ€, however, I have personally studied all the four

Vedas in original “archaic†Sanskrit with their different

“Bhashyasâ€, besides the various Brahmanas like Shatapatha,

Aitreya, Tatiriya etc. etc. †" again, with their Bhashyas! I have

studied, (in original Sanskrit!) about two hundred all the important and

“not so important†Upanishads as well! I have also gone

through both the epics viz. the Valmiki Ramayana and the Mahabharata ---

in chaste Sanskrit and from cover to cover besides Adhyatma Ramayana,

Ramacharitamanasa etc. etc.! There is hardly any Purana including the

Bhagavata, Shivapurana, Vishnu, Narada, Devi, Varaha, Matsya and

Vishnudharmotara etc. etc. that I have not gone through in original

Sanskrit! Besides, I am neither an “imported†nor a

self-styled but a real Kashmiri Pandit -- a Saraswat Brahmin, born in

the line of those very Rishis who practiced penance on

> the banks of the Saraswati thousands of years back. Vedic Richas are

therefore in my genes! I do not have any honorific titles like

“Sastri†but I possess actually a hard earned certificate

of having cleared Shastri examination (Honours in Sanskrti) from Kashmir

University --- though I do not wear it around my neck! I have also

studied exhaustively all the ancient astronomical works like the Vedanga

Jyotisha, Surya Sidhanta, Panchasidhantika, etc. etc. I was not a born

renegade against the established traditions. On the other hand, I was

initially “hypnotized†by “Vedic astrologyâ€

and “nirayana panchangas†myself and there is hardly any

“text-book†of astrology either in Sanskrit or Urdu or

English or Hindi that I have not studied with due reverence, as if I was

studying the Vedas! However, later I woke to the real situation, thanks

to my good past karma. Fortunately, my parents have named me as a

namesake of “Krishen†---so that

> people repeat His name even unwittingly (like Ajamil of the

Bhagavata!) --- though I never claim that I am His Incarnation! Thus my

credentials are impeccable in all respects!

> There is no astrology in the Vedas and no nirayana zodiac in any of

the Puranas etc. either!

> Â Â Â Â Â Having established my credentials thus, WITH

ALL THE EMPHASIS AT MY COMMAND, I CAN DECLARE IT WITHOUT ANY HESITATION

THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PREDECTIVE ASTROLGY --- MUCH LESS A SO

CALLED NIRAYANA ASTROLOGY --- IN ANY OF THE VEDAS, UPANISHADAS OR

BRAHMANAS. There are, however, some odd references to predictive

astrology in some of the Puranas and the epics and therefore calling it

as really a post-Vedic astrology is quite correct. There is a rider

there also, and that is that THE SO CALLED NIRAYANA RASHICHAKRA DOES NOT

EXIST NOT ONLY IN ANY OF THE VEDAS, BRAHMANAS, UPANISHADAS BUT EVEN IN

THE MANUMSRITI, PURANAS AND EPICS ETC. ETC. since according to these

scriptures Makara Sankranti/Pongal is nothing but a synonym of

Uttarayana (the shortest day of the year) i.e Winter Solstice and

Vishuva (Vernal Equinox) another name of Mesha Sankranti and so on.

There is absolutely no indication that any sankranti can have any

independent existence to

> the exclusion of its being linked with the relevant season as is

evident by the names of Vedic months viz. Tapah, Tapasya, Madhu, Madhava

etc.!

> Jyotish as a Vedanga does not mean astrology but astronomy:

> Â Â Â Â Â Jyotish has been described as a

“Vedanga††" a limb of the Vedic lore. Actually in

ancient times, as in modern India, proper timings

†" Muhurtas---with reference to proper seasons, months and tithi

etc. were, and still are, a must for conducting any ritual like Yajnya

(sacrifice) or ceremonies like Yajnyopavita (sacred threading), marriage

etc. It was also necessary to ascertain in advance the dates of eclipses

etc. It was for this purpose that astronomical works were necessary for

determining these geographical/astronomical phenomena. These very

astronomical works come under “Jyotishaâ€, the earliest

example being that of Vedanga Jyotisha, which literally means

“Jyotisha as a limb of the Vedasâ€. It is also known as Rik

Jyotisham and explains the method of determining the lunar and solar

years besides the seasons and “Malamasa†etc. It has

absolutely nothing to do with any predictive astrology since excepting

for the sun and

> moon, all the other planets are conspicuous by their absence.

Similarly, Yajuh Jyotish verse 4 says that astronomical calculations

(and not astrological predictions!) are the crown jewel of the Vedanga!

To crown it all, there are no rashis i.e. astrological signs like Mesha

(Aries), Vrisha (Taurus) etc. in the Vedanga Jyotisha, whether

Rik-Jyotisha or Yajur-Jyotisham. Same is the case with all the later

works like the Surya Sidhanta etc. Though there are rashis and planets

in the Surya Sidhanta, but they are only for calculating the phenomena

of tithi, nakshatra etc. and not for predictive purposes. As late as

12th century AD, Bhaskaracharya has said in his “Sidhanta

Shiromani†1/9, “The Vedas advise us to perform

rituals/sacrifices etc.. Those need proper timings. As only astronomical

works enable us to determine those proper timings, that is why Jyotisha

is known as a Vedangaâ€. Thus Jyotish as Vedanga does not mean

predictive astrologhy at all

> as per the Vedaanga Jhyotisha or the Puranas or the sidhantas, but

only the science of calculating phenomena correctly for deciding the

timings of Yajnyas etc.

> Astrological predictions could never be correct in the past.

> Â Â Â Â Â Till a few centuries back, before the advent

of modern astronomy into India i.e. till about sixteenth century AD,

Indian Panchangas were prepared either from the Surya Sidhanta or some

other similar astronomical work like Aryabhati or Khanda Khadyaka or

Grahalaghava etc. etc. None of the Sidhantas agree with one another

least of all with the modern astronomy--- Aryabhati gives different

fundamental astronomical arguments from that of the Surya Sidhanta and

the latter does not tally with any other Sidhanta. Besides, all the

“Vedic astrologers†including the minister for astrology,

now admit that none of the fundamental arguments of these Sidhantas or

Karna Granthas like Graha Laghava is correct. Astrological predictions

are made from horoscopes which were prepared from Panchangas before the

advent of computers, which is a very recent phenomenon. Thus when the

fundamental parameters on which these Panchangas were prepared in

ancient India

> till a few centuries back were incorrect, how could the astrological

predictions based on such incorrect horoscopes be correct? It is

therefore height of ignorance and double standards to say that our

ancestors in the ancient past made correct predictions from horoscopes

though they made incorrect Panchangas from which those horoscopes were

prepared! It is like saying that in spite of the mathematical

calculations and/or data of a mathematical question being incorrect, the

result (answer) will be correct! That is like having the cake and eating

it as well! Hence “Vedic astrology†cannot be supposed to

have been taught by our Vedic Rishis.

> Lunar months also are related to a Sayana Rashichakra:

> Â Â Â Â Â As per these very scriptures and sidhantas

lunar months, including intercalary months, also were decided on the

basis of seasonal years i.e. tropical Rashichakra (Rigveda 1/25/8 and

Shatapatha Br. 3/2/1/27 and 6/3/3) In this connection, I refer to page

No.559-560 of a Hindi translation of the relevant Mantra of the Rigveda,

by Shivnath Ahitagni and Pandit Shankardatt Shastri, based on the

Bhashya of Sayanacharya. It was originally published in 1904 AD, exactly

a hundred years back. It says very clearly that a solar year ranges from

the ingress of the sun into Sayana i.e Tropical Aries to another ingress

of tropical Aries i.e. from one Vernal Equinox to another and the

thirteenth lunar month is to be calculated accordingly It is to be noted

that it has specifically pointed out that the solar year has to be a

tropical one and not a sidereal one for deciding the adhikamasa i.e.

excess month/intercalation. This alone should settle the issue once

> for all that all the festivals and adhika/kshyaya masas etc. are to be

decided as per the tropical and not some Lahiri or Ramana year, much

less a so called sidereal zodiac! And that is why Vaishakha and not

Shravana was an adhika-masa (inter-calary month) in 2004.

> No commentator has referred to any nirayana zodiac:

> Â Â Â Â Â I have also gone through the Bhashyas of

Shankaracharya on all the eleven Upanishads besides the Brahmasutras and

the Gita †" Prasthan Trayee as it is called --- and in none of

those Bhashyas there is any reference to any PREDICTIVE ASTROLOGY much

less to the so called nirayana zodiac! Same is the case with Shri

Gyaneshwar ji in his Jnyaneshwari etc.

> No ancient astronomical work is referring to any nirayana zodiac even

by mistake:

> Â Â Â Â Â All our astronomical works starting from the

Vedanga Jyotisha (c1300 BC), Paitamaha Sidhanta; Vasishtha sidhanta;

Paulisha Sidhanta; the Surya Sidhanta (4th century AD), Aryabhati,

Vateshwara sidhanta, Shishyadhivridhida and even Bhaskaracharya’s

Sidhantashiromani of twelfth century AD refer to nothing but a tropical

Rashichakra since they have said unequivocally that Makara Sankranti and

Uttarayana (Winter Solstice) or Mesha Sankranti and Vishuva (Vernal

Equinox) are synonyms! Same is the case with Varahamihira’s

Panchasidhantika and Brihatsamhita----no mention of any ayanamsha or any

nirayana rashichakra anywhere!

> Historical proofs also are against nirayana zodiac:

> Â Â Â Â Â Then coming to historical facts, there are

innumerable references to nothing but a Sayana Rashichakra in the

monumental work of Alberuni’s India --- a travelogue of eleventh

century AD --- translated by Dr. Edward C. Sachau and reprinted by S.

Chand and Co. in India in 1964. It does not at all mention even by

mistake any so called nirayana rashichakra being used in India then.

e.g., page 2 of Vol II (Chapter XLIX) of this work states that the lunar

New Year of Hejira 422 (Shaka-kala 953) started on February 25, 1031, a

Thursday, and it could be possible only if a Sayana Rashichakra was used

as Lahiri or Raman or Kharegat or Fagan (though by then unborn!) or any

other nirayana Lunar New year would fall only on March 26, 1031 --

exactly a month later as is happening these days. (For further details,

please see my Shri Krishen Ephemeris for 2001 -- page 92) Akbarnama by

Abul-Fazl (Vol II, page 78) published by Asiatic Society, Calcutta, says

> that India celebrated a solar New Year on 28th Rab-as-Sani. 963

(Hejira) i..e. March 11, 1556 AD “at 10 hrs. 40 minutes of the

astronomical night†---- and that was almost the exact time of

Vernal Equinox (Meshadi / Vaishakhi) even as per modern astronomy,

instead of some Lahiri Mesha Sankranti that would have taken place on

March 27, 1556, at 21h 19 minutes -- a gap of 17 days --- the difference

of (an unborn) Lahiri Ayanamsha then! Similarly, “The Embassy of

Sir Thomas Roe to India†" 1615 to 19†" as narrated in his

journals and correspondence†reprinted by Asian Publishers,

Jullundur in 1993 has this to say, “11-3-1616: The Naorose began

in the evening. It is a custom of solemnizing the Hindu new

year….it commences on the day when the sun in his splendour moves

to Aries …when money and other things are given away in

presentsâ€. It is to be noted that March 11, 1616--- the day of

Vernal Equinox --- is of Julian Calendar. Here also, Lahiri

> Meshadi would take place 18 days later!

> 27 (or 28 if we include Abhijita as well) nakshatra divisions also are

related to a sayana zodiac:

>      The nakshatra divisions †" which are

actually entirely unrelated to constellations off similar names and more

often known by “Lunar mansions†or --- as by Alberuni ---

“lunar stationsâ€-- have been related to only a seasonal

zodiac by all the Puranas and sidhantas. Even the monk-commentator

Anandabodha Yati, who flourished around 12th/13th century AD, in his

Tatparya Prakasha Commentary of the “Yogavasishtha

Maharamayana†has referred to tithi, nakshatras and (Vishkumbha,

Preeti etc.) yogas as related to only a seasonal i.e. tropical zodiac

vide Nirvan. Prakran, 1st half, chapter 81!

> Manjula (or Munjala) was the first Indian astronomer to advise

precessional corrections:

> Â Â Â Â Â It must also be put on record here that

Munjala (most probably of North India †" Kashmir), in his

“Laghumanasa†has given “Dhruvakas†for

Shaka 854 (932 AD) as per the mean elements of planets with reference to

the works of Surya Sidhanta, Aryabhattiya etc. but then he had advised

that right from Shaka 444 (522 A.D.) one arc-minute per year is to be

added to the same to make them tally with the actual positions of the

sun, moon and planets. Thus by adding 6° 50’ to the mean

elements of not only the sun but to all the other planets and the moon

on March 10, 932 AD, he has arrived at the longitudes which tally

exactly with the mean elements (Sayana, of course!) derived as per

modern astronomy! ALBERUNI HAS HAILED THIS WORK †" WHICH HE HAS

REFERRED TO AS “PUNJALA’S SMALL MANASA†AS A

MILESTONE IN INDIAN ASTRONOMY SINCE IT HAD HIT THE BULL’S EYE BY

CORRECTING THE ERRORS THAT HAD BEEN DETECTED IN WORKS LIKE THE SURYA

SIDHANTA

> ETC.. In the same verse (1/5) wherein he has given the corrections for

“Ayanachalana†Munjala has also made it very clear that

the mean longitudes etc. are to be measured from

“uttara-vishuvat†--- Vernal Equinox †" and not from

any so called “180° opposite to Chitra†or from Revati

or “Lahiri†or “Ramana†Star etc.! Alberuni

has also referred to “Vishnudharmottara Purana†times

without number as being an authority for deciding the fasts and

festivals in India then, and not so surprisingly, in this work,

Uttarayana is said to be an incarnation of Vishnu (I-56/17). As per the

same work again, days and nights are equal on Mesha and Tula Sankrantis!

(I-73/9).

> The credit for discovering “Ayanachalana†- Precession

of Equinoxes -- first of all in India goes to Munjala:

> Â Â Â Â Â It is thus conclusively proved that Munjala

(or Manjula, as he is sometimes known) had discovered the

“Ayanachalana†--- precession of Equinoxes --- before any

other astronomer in India had referred to it so unambiguously!

> Utpala of Kahsmir had used tropical longitudes in tenth century as per

Alberuni:

> Â Â Â Â Â On page 366 of his travelogue, Alberuni

says, “No doubt, also, other people have perceived the same or a

similar difference by means of the calculation of the noon-shadow.

Therefore, as this observation was already much known, Utpala of Kashmir

has taken this theory from Punjala.†It means that having found

the discrepancy between the observed equinoxes and the calculated ones

of the Surya Sidhanta etc. Utpala also had followed the observed

positions instead of some imaginary ones arrived at by calculations from

the sidhantas.

> Prashastidhara of Kashmir had written a commentary on Laghumanasa

which had become famous and was used for making Panchangas from Kashmir

to Kanya Kumari

> Â Â Â Â Â Kripa Shankar Shukla, M.A., D.Litt.,

F.N.A.Sc. former Head, Department of Mathematics and Astronomy, Lucknow

University, has written a critical commentary on Laghmanasa, published

by Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, in 1990. He has consulted

all the various manuscripts and commentaries on the same and this is

what he has to say on page 50, under the heading “Popularity of

Laghumanasaâ€: “The Laghumanasa was written in A. D. 932

A.D. and it soon attained its status as an important work on astronomy.

It is not known where exactly its author Manjula lived and wrote this

work but there is no doubt that within a few years the merit of this

work was established and its fame reached Kashmir and only 26 years

after its composition, the Kashmirean astronomer Prasastidhara regarded

it as a suitable work for writing a commentary on it. Writes he

(Prasastidhara) in his commentary: ‘Since this work is small,

written with no less effort,

> accurate and universal, and computations based on it accord with

observation, I deem it a great honour in writing a commentary on

it.’ Prasastidhara’s commentary explained the text and

demonstrated the working of the rules by solving typical problems in

astronomy and continued to be used for a long time. The use of this

commentary was not confined to Kashmir alone. Its fame reached as far

south as Gangai-konda-Colapuram (in south Tamil Nadu). The celebrated

commentator Suryadeva Yajva who belonged to that place has mentioned it

and recommended its use….†On page 18 K. S. Shukla has

said, “That Prasastidhara belonged to Kashmir is confirmed by the

testimony of the commentator Suryadeva Yajva (1248 AD).. It appears that

after Utpala had carried the new methods of sidhantic astronomy, as

adumbrated by Munjala in his Laghumanasa, to Kashmir, Prasastidhara, a

veteran astronomer, wrote a commentary on the same so that it could be

easily understood by

> his local and other Panchangamakers. It is, therefore, a matter of

shame that Kashmiri Panchangakars (besides other panchanga-makers of

India) resorted to Grahalaghava bidding a good-bye to

Prasastidhara’s commentary on Laghumanasa which was used by

everybody from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari till a few centuries back.

> Abhinavgupt’s Tantraloka should serve as a beacon of light for

Kashmiri Pandits (besides other yogis and Shaiva scholars) as a whole

especially for Kashmiri Panchangamakers:

> Â Â Â Â Â Kashmir was regarded as the most advanced

part of India in Shaivism. Much of the credit for the same goes to the

great Shaivite, Acharya Abhinavgupt, who was a master-yogi also. His

prayers like “Ati bheeshana Katu-Bhashana†and

“Vyapta Charachara Bhava Vishesham†etc. are still

reverberating in my ears as these were recited by my maternal

grandfather almost ever day during “Thokur pooza†(morning

worship). “Tantralokaâ€, an internationally acclaimed

monumental work of eight volumes by the same Acharya was published

originally by Ranabir Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Jammu and later reprinted

by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Delhi. It also contains a commentary

by Jayaratha. As everybody knows, the revered Acharya flourished in the

tenth century AD and was thus a contemporary of Manjula and also

Prasastidhara as well as Utpala. Jayaratha, the commentator of

Tantraloka, lived around 12th century AD. To crown it all, Tantraloka

> (6/114-200) of Abhinavgupta contains explicit references that Makara

Sankranti is another name of Winter Solstice and Mesha Sankranti that of

Vernal Equinox and so on. If any doubt could be expressed even in the

least about the original references, Jayaratha has laid those to rest

completely.

> Publishing so called nirayana Kashmiri and other Jantris/panchangas is

an affront to Acharya Abhinavgupt:

> Â Â Â Â Â Nobody knowing even a bit of astronomy can

say that the so called (though actually non-existent) nirayana zodiac

and (the real) sayana zodiac was the same during the Acharya’s

time because. as we shall see shortly, right from 285 AD, there would be

a difference of one day every seventy two years in actual solar

sankranti like Makara or Mesha etc. and Lahiri Makar or Mesha Sankranti.

In the tenth century the nirayana snakrantis would have thus been ahead

by about eight days, and days and nights on such Mesha sankrantis could

never be equal nor could such Lahiri Makar Sankrantis be the shortest

day of the year etc. It is therefore extremely tragic that just for the

filth of lucre, some vested interests are defending the indefensible

that the Panchanga/Jantri based on Grahalaghava that Kashmiri Pandits,

nay the entire Hindu society as a whole, have been compelled to use for

centuries was the most accurate one when actually it has been against

> the set rules laid down by even the Acharya for deciding solar

sankrantis and thereby lunar months.

> Even the present preceptor-cum-guru-cum-mentor of “Vijayeshwar

Jantri†does not believe in nirayana but only sayana longitudes

to be used for horoscopes and muhurtas etc.

> Â Â Â Â Â as per Dharmashastras and sidhantas etc. As

seen already. Vijayeshwar Jantri/Panchang is being now published

“under the guidance†of Shri Priyavrat Sharma of Martand

Panchangam. This is what Shri Sharma had said on page 52/53 of his

Martand Panchanga for 1992-93, “There is a cumulative difference

of 23/24 days over the last about 1500 years as compared to the seasons.

Our festivals have therefore advanced by about 24 days vis-Ã -vis the

relevant seasons. This difference will go on increasing day by day. To

rectify this problem of 23/24 days should be the main concern of our

panchangamakers. This cumulative difference is because of Precession of

Equinoxesâ€. It means thus a time will come when it will be

Shishir ritu (Winter) actually while we will be doing the (nirayana)

“sankalpa†of Grishma ritu (Summer). About the so called

Chitra Ayanamsha which Martand Panchangam and Vijayeshwar Jantri

(besides almost 99.9% of other Panchangas

> including the Rashtriya Panchanga) are using at present, Prof Priyarat

Sharma has said on page 235 of his Hindi work “Grahayog Aur

Dampatya Jeevanâ€, “Chitra Ayanamsha is neither as per the

Shastras nor as per modern astronomy……Chitrapaksha longitudes

are as per an unreal and fictitious---First point of Aries. They can

therefore never give correct results in predictive astrology….It

is not possible to give up this ayanamsha now because the astrologers

etc. will have to admit clearly that whatever predictions they had been

making, the muhurtas they had been preparing and also the matching of

horoscopes they were doing in the past was all baseless and they will

have to throw such panchangas and horoscopes into dustbinâ€.

Needless to reiterate here that “Chitrapaksha†is another

name of “Lahiri†Ayanamsha though it has nothing to do

with the star Chitra.

> “Medicine should not be wasted even if the patient dies because

the doctor has prescribed wrong medicineâ€.

> Â Â Â Â Â The sumum-bonum of this discourse of Shri

Priyavrat Sharma, the mentor of Vijayeshwar Jantri/Panchang, is that we

should continue to follow wrong panchangas even if we have to celebrate

marriages in Shradhapaksha and vice versa or to celebrate Pitramavasya

when it is actually Dipavali because otherwise we will have to throw all

our earlier horoscopes and panchangas etc. into dustbin, which will be a

financial loss for Panchangamakers and matchmakers etc. In other words,

how does it matter if the patient dies because the doctor had prescribed

some wrong medicine deliberately. Other patients should continue to take

the remnants of that very medicine so that the “doctor

sahib†does not suffer a financial loss! That is what is meant by

the greed for the filth of lucre!

> Ganesha Daivagya put the cart before the horse:

> Â Â Â Â Â Surprisingly, Ganesha Daivagya in sixteenth

century, via his “Grahalaghava†put the cart before the

horse by advising to deduct one arc minute per year from Shaka 444

onwards from the tropical longitudes --- exactly opposite to what

Munjala had advised more than six hundred years before him. Our

Panchanga-makers, especially the Kashmiri “Jantri-makersâ€

adopted this method without “using their brains†and

caring two hoots for Acharya Abhinavgupta’s, astronomer

Prasastidhar’s and the injunctions of the Vedas because of the

ease it afforded them in calculating planetary longitudes etc. --- thus

landing the whole of “Rishi Bhoomi†--- particularly

“Kashyapmar†in unmanageable problems which were

aggravated infinitely by “Vedic astrologers†and other

vested interests later by following the same so called “nirayana

rashichakraâ€. Thus, Graha Laghava, instead of being a valuable

astronomical work, is actually the worst

> culprit for spreading the nirayana mess and thereby adharma in this

country. And that is what Vijayeshwar Jantri (besides other nahcangas)

had been following till 1997-98 and Brahmana Mahamandal is following

even today.

> Surya Sidhanta ayanamsha verses are interpolations:

> Â Â Â Â Â It is said that planetary longitudes were

taken to be “nirayana†because there are references to

Ayanamsha in the Surya Sidhanta. Though there are supposed to be three

verses in the Surya Sidhanta (Tri. Pr. Adh. 6-12)

“proclaiming†ayanamsha corrections, however, all the

“Vedic astrologers†themselves know and declare openly

that they are interpolations, inserted after Munjala’s

Laghumanasa had come into vogue. If, on the other hand, we accept those

verses as belonging to the original Surya Sidhanta then these days we

have to subtract (instead of adding) about 24° from the so called

nirayana longitudes of the Surya Sidhanta to make them sayana! A

ridiculous and ludicrous situation!

> Even the Ayanamsha names indicate that no Ayanamsha exists at all!

> Â Â Â Â Â These days the most common Ayanamshas are

Lahiri, (there cannot be any “Chitra Ayanamsha†at all,

which it is euphemistically called! --- see my ephemeris for 2001)

Ramana, Kharegat and Cyril Fagan Ayanamsha. All these “Ayanamsha

creators†were born in the twentieth century and most of them

also died in the same century. Since they “invented†the

Ayanamshas of their names, it is but obvious that no ayanamsha could

have predated them e.g., Lahiri Ayanamsha could not have been

“bornâ€: or “invented†prior to Lahiri;

Ramana Ayanamsha could not have been “invented†or born

before Dr. B. V. Raman and so on. In other words, they gave birth to

“nirayana zodiacs†and being imaginary, those zodiacs can

not outlive their “creatorsâ€!

> No “Vedic astrology†book suggests any Ayanamsha:

> Â Â Â Â Â These days whenever any horoscope or event

is discussed as per “Vedic astrologyâ€, the “Vedic

astrologer†has to clarify compulsorily as to what Ayanamsha he

is using, whether Lahiri or Ramana or any other, even though he may not

have to declare as to which “text book†he is referring

to! Surprisingly, none of the ancient “text books†like

Brihat Jatakam, Brihat Parashari, Mansagari, Phaladeepika or Jataka

Parijata etc mentions having used any Ayanamsha whatsoever. It is thus

in itself a proof that all those “text books†of

“Vedic astrology†are based on a Sayana zodiac, because if

any Ayanamsha would have existed then they would certainly have referred

to the same!

> Parashara could never have written any nirayana astrology books:

> Â Â Â Â Â Brihat Parashari is said to be the

“bible†of “Vedic astrologersâ€. Though there

are about half a dozen versions of this work, none agreeing with the

other, yet all are said to have been “dictated†by

Maharshi Parashara, the father of Vedavyasa. Let us pretend to agree

that all the versions have actually been â€written†by

Parashara himself. Maharshi Parashara has also recited/narrated the

“Vishnupuranaâ€. The eighth Adhyaya in Second Amsha of this

Purana is full of astronomical/geographical references. It states

clearly in verses 27 to 31 and then again in verses 65 to 74 that the

days and nights are equal on both the Vishuvas (Equinoxes), which are

known as Mesha and Tula Sankrantis. ….Day is the shortest on

Makara Sankranti, also known as Uttarayana and longest on Karkata

Sankranti, also known as Dakshinayanaâ€. If Maharshi Parashara has

really narrated some Brihat Parashari to Maitreya, he would certainly

not have done

> so on the basis of some imaginary nirayana rashichakra as against the

natural seasonal one because in his time there was a difference of at

least 50 degrees between the “nirayana†and sayana

longitudes, as we shall shortly see.

> Bhagwan Ram could not have been born in a nirayana rashichakra when

Maharshi Valmiki and Adhyatma Ramayana and Goswami Tulsidas etc. refer

only to a seasonal calendar:

> Â Â Â Â Â The Valmiki Ramayaha (1/13/1-18) says that

after six “Ritus†passed and “Vasanta†came

again….â€. Similarly, Adhyatma Ramayana, 1/3-14 says,

“It was the month of Madhuâ€. This can happen only when we

write an obituary to all the nirayana rashichakras as otherwise the

Vedic month Madhu and Vasanta Ritu have no meaning in any nirayana

Rashichakra! Obviously, these days we are celebrating Rama Navmi when it

is neither Madhu nor Vasanta, thanks to the untiring efforts of these

“Vedic astrologers†of propagating hundreds of nirayana

Rashichakras!

> To say that Bhagwan Krishen was born in some nirayana Rashichakra is

to disbelieve all the Puranas and the epics:

>      Vedavyasa’s Srimad Bhagvata

(5/21/3-6) says the same thing what Maharshi Parashar had said,

“The days and nights are equal on Mesha and Tula

Sankrantis†and (5/22/3-5) â€The sun passes through twelve

Rashis (signs) related to six seasonsâ€. Then in 12/11/29-45 it

links the various months like Madhu etc. to lunar months. Obviously,

when we presume that Bhagwan Krishen was born on Shravana (Bhadra as per

Gauna-mana) Krishna Ashtami in rainy season about 5000 years back, it

can be possible only if we cremate the nirayana Rashichakras once for

all as otherwise the seasons and nirayana rashichakras can never go

together!

> “Back-calculating†Shri Ram’s and Shri

Krishen’s horoscopes is the latest gimmick of “Vedic

Astrologersâ€, and also a proof of their bankruptcy of scriptural

and astronomical knowledge:

> Â Â Â Â Â A new bee has entered the bonnet of these

“Vedic Astrologers†of late! They want to prove the

astrological worthiness of the divine incarnations by back calculating

their horoscopes! Dr. Vartak Padmakar Vishnu, MBBS, has published a book

named “Vastav Ramayana†in Marathi. His article was

published in March 1984 (page259) of the Astrological Magazine under the

heading “The Exact Birth Date of Sri Ramaâ€.. According to

him Shri Rama was born on Tuesday, December 4, 7323 BC though as per the

same author in the same article Mahabharata war had started on October

16, 5561 BC. He has made a fantastic statement on page 260 of the same

issue of AM, (i) “Today (i.e. 1979 when he had written that book)

the sun is 246° on 23 December. The equinoxes move back by 50.2

seconds per year. 7323 + 1979 = 9302. 9302 X 50.2 = 129°.71122. 246

+ 129=375. 375-360=15°. So 15° will be the position of the sun

on 23rd December 7323 BC. This comes in

> Aries and near the exalted place of the sun 10°. So whatever

Valmiki has written is absolutely correctâ€. Then on page 306 he

says, (ii) â€Amavasya was on 25th November 7323 BC. 353° is

the zone of Revati where Amavasya took place. Hence the next month was

Chaitra and on its 9th day there could have been Punarvasu Nakshatra,

the date being 4th December 7323 BC. Hence Rama’s birth-date is

fixed as 4th December 7323 BCâ€. Now let us analyze his first

statement: He has not clarified anywhere as to what precession of

equinoxes has to do with the actual longitude of the sun. If he means

Ayanamsha, then he has to adjust it in the longitudes of all the planets

and not only in that of the sun. Actually all the modern astronomical

calculations are done on the basis of Julian days/years and the duration

of the same is 365.25 mean solar days per year whereas the duration of a

tropical year is 365.242195 days. The difference between a tropical

solar year and

> a Julian year is thus -.007805 days. Between December 23, 7323 BC and

December 23, 1979 AD, there are 7322+1979 = 9301 years. The difference

in Julian and tropical years thus comes to 9301 X .007805 = 72.59557315

days. As the sun moves 360° in about 365.242195 days the movement in

these days would be (360/365.242195) X 72.59557315 = 71.55363611

degrees. Sun entered Capricorn (Sayana) on December 22, 1979 at 16-39

IST. On December 23, 1979 it was about 271° (Sayana). Hence the

tropical longitude of the sun on December 23, 7323 BC could have been

271° - 71.5 = 199.5° On December 4 it should have been 199.5

minus 19 = 179.5°. Add to it the differential ten degrees of

Gregorian and Julian Era. The longitude becomes 189.5°. The

Ephemeris Time (TDT) difference on Decmber 23, 1979 was hardly one

minute but in 7323 BC it was about 3 days. It would thus be about

192.5°. The actual “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on that

date was 103° 40’. Thus if Dr.

> Vartak wanted to calculate the so called (though unborn Lahiri)

nirayana longitudes of planets at that distant date, all he had to do

was to add 103.7° to their sayana longitudes and the same would be

(for sun) 193.5° + 103.7° = 297°. We have also to take into

account all the secular variations. Besides, the length of days and

years in the past ten thousand years has never been constant. There is

difference in the Obliquity of the Ecliptic as well. The actual

planetary position on December 4, 7323 BC at 12 Noon LMT at Ayodhya, as

per modern astronomy, after making approximate corrections of about

250000 seconds of time for ET is: Sun 201°, Moon 313°, Mercury

174°, Venus 242°, Mars 282°, Jupiter 336° ®, Saturn

132° and True Rahu 63° “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha

on that date being +103°.7, Lahiri longitudes are: Sun 305°,

Moon 57°, Mercury 278°, Venus 346°, Mars 25°, Jupiter

80° ®, Saturn 236°, True Rahu 167° These tally almost

> exactly with the longitudes etc. derived by A. P. Singh in December

1984 AM and as confirmed by me in my ephemeris for 1988 †" page

85. In those calculations, ET corrections have not been taken into

account. Therefore, the longitudes arrived at by Dr. Vartak are neither

nirayana, nor sayana nor based either on modern astronomy or on any

sidhanta. Besides, as you can see, not even a single condition of

Maharshi Valmiki gets fulfilled. So Dr. Vartak is taking everybody for a

ride and “Vedic Astrologers†are endorsing his

“great and sincere efforts†in that direction!

> No two “Vedic Astrologers†agree even on the date of

brith of Shri Rama:

>      However, an “astronomer royal of

Kashmir†C.L Nagri, had this to say in “Koshur

Samacharâ€, page 21 of August 2001 issue, “It was during

this period that Sri Ram was born. February 22-23, 7323 BC is the

probable epoch….The complete chart thus prepared on these lines

confirms four exaltations and one own house placement, excluding Rahu

and Ketu, besides other conditions like Madhu month, mid-day birth etc.

All this has worked out strictly in tune with the descriptions made in

the Ramayana…â€. On the one hand Dr. Vartak finds the planetary

position in tune with that of Ramayana if Sri Rama was born on December

4, 7323 but “astronomer royal†C. L. Nagri finds the

conditions fulfilled if Sri Rama was born on February 22-23 of the same

year---earlier by ten months exactly! What a confusion! Let us see the

planetary position on February 22, 7323 BC at 12 Noon LMT of Ayodhya

also after making the necessary corrections for ET:: The

> Sayana position is: Sun 279°, Moon 156°, Mercury 300°,

Venus 252°, Mars 208°, Jupiter 314°, Saturn 121° ®,

True Rahu 81° “almighty†Lahiri planetary positions on

that date, with an Ayanamsha of +103°.7 are: Sun 23°, Moon

260°, Mercury 44°, Venus 355°, Mars 312°, Jupiter

57°, Saturn 224° ®, True Rahu 184°. It is quite clear that

even the “astronomer royal†of Kashmir has given wrong

information about the birth date of Sri Rama and neither nirayana nor

sayana longitudes on that date tally with the conditions that Valmiki

had laid

> So called nirayana zodiacs themselves confirm their non-existence in

the past:

> Â Â Â Â Â To put succinctly, Ayanamsha means the

difference in degrees between the Sayana and so called nirayana

longitudes of a planet.. As per these “Vedic Astrologersâ€

Lahiri Ayanamsha in 285 AD was zero. The average rate of precession is

50â€.29 per year. Therefore, as per these very “Vedic

Astrologersâ€, there is a change of one degree in Ayanamsha every

72 years. As we know, the sun moves about one degree a day. In other

words, the nirayana and sayana sankrantis, and therefore, solar

longitudes will differ from one another by that number of days as the

differential years are the multiples of 72 years since 285 AD. e.g.

these days i.e. 2004 it will be (2004-285) = 1719/72 1719/72 = 23.875

(say 24°). It means “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha these

days must be about -24° which it actually is. As the year 2004 is

after 285, the Ayanamsha is minus i.e. we have to subtract it from

sayana longitudes to make them nirayana. Therefore, if the real

> Makara Sankranti is on December 21 these days, Lahiri Makar Sankranti

will be on 21+24=15 i.e. on January 14/15 of the next year. It is also

clear that if Ayanamsha sign is minus, the sayana sankranti is earlier

by that number of days from the so called nirayna sankranti and if it is

plus, the sayana sankranti will be after that number of days of the

nirayana sankranti. Between 7323 BC and 285 AD the total number of years

elapsed was 7322+285=7607 years. Divided by 72, it comes to about

+105°.5. It means that “almighty†Lahiri ayanamsha in

7322 BC was about 105°..5 plus. However, the exact Lahiri Ayanamsha

then, as we have seen, was about +103° 40’. Therefore, the

actual Makara or Mesha Sankrantis would have taken place after about 104

days of Lahiri Makara or Mesha Sankrantis! We must not forget that the

Vedic months Madhu, Madhava and the seasons like Vasanta etc. have

nothing to do with Lahiri or Ramana or Khargeat zodiacs or such

sankrantis!

> They (Vedic sankrantis) are just dependent on solar declination and

therefore its tropical longitudes! So it is impossible for Vasanta Ritu

and Madhumasa to have coincided with any Lahiri Mina sankranti. To top

it all neither on February 22 nor on December 4 in 7323 BC the sun was

in Lahiri Mina but it was 5 degrees of Kumbha and 23 degrees of Mesha

respectively. The tropical sun being in Tula on December 4, 7323 BC, it

was but Sharad Ritu and on February 22 of the same year it was Shishir

Ritu! It is thus abundantly clear that however hard these “Vedic

Astrologers†try, they cannot wish away the situation that about

9000 years back the month of Madhu, Vasanta Ritu and Lahiri Mina/Mesha

Sun could never have coincided! Same is the case with the horoscopes of

Shri Krishen etc. as “almighty†Lahiri Ayanamsha on July

18, 3222 BC was about 50° that is sayana and nirayana sankrantis

were away by 50 days from one another!. It thus confirms what I have

> been emphasizing: The so called nirayana zodiacs neither existed in

the past nor do they exist at present! There is, therefore, no

possibility of their being born now, in spite of the very “best

efforts†of “Vedic Astrologers†to procreate them!

> Modern astronomy vis-à -vis “Vedic Astrologyâ€â€ " a

square peg in a round hole:

> Â Â Â Â Â It also defies imagination as to how Dr.

Vartak has calculated longitudes for such a distant past on the basis of

a “semi-modern†astronomy that also for the birth date of

Bhagwan Shri Rama when these “Vedic Astrologers†decry

modern scientists and astronomers as anti-Vedic because most of them do

not believe in the hocus-pocus called Vedic Astrology as it does not

exist in the Vedas at all! There was also an interesting comment by Dr.

Bangalore Sureshwara on page 77 of the Astrological Magazine of January

2000, “There is no doubt that great and painstaking effort has

gone into Dr. Vartak’s studies covering important events in the

Ramayana. The efforts of scholars like Dr. Vartak that synthesize and

integrate known historical events with Vedic astrology (sic!) are

milestones in the long and elaborate studies…â€. Then on the

same page he says, “The reverse calculations showed the years

5352 and 7120 BC satisfying the specific

> planetary positions….†Needless to say that reverse

calculations are as per modern astronomy! Even Dr. Raman had got the

horoscopes of Shri Krishen, Gautam Budha, Jesus Christ and

Shankaracharya etc. for his “Notable Horoscopesâ€

calculated by Cyril Fagan as per modern astronomy! These “Vedic

Astrologers†themselves shout from the housetops that modern

astronomy is hardly a few centuries old. So Maharshi Valmiki or Garg or

the family priest of Gautama Budha etc. could not have calculated

Bhagwan Ram’s, or Shri Krishen’s or Gautama Budha’s

horoscopes as per the mean elements provided by Newcombe, Brown or

Leverrier and Gailot etc. that Dr. Vartak and company have used. If at

all Valmiki and other Rishis had calculated such horoscopes those should

have been as per the Surya Sidhanta since no other sidhanta prior to

that mentions astrological signs even by mistake nor do they contain any

calculations for determining planetary longitudes

> etc. though Paitamaha sidhanta etc. are said to have existed from day

one of the present creation! Modern astronomy is thus actually a square

peg in the round hole of “Vedic Astrologyâ€

> Bhagwan Ram is still alive and kicking (and waiting for “Vedic

Astrologers†and ministers for astrology to enthrone Him again!):

> Â Â Â Â Â Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara has written a very

long series of articles in the Astrological Magazine under the heading

“Reflections on Ramayanaâ€. It is really surprising as to

how he has “appreciated†the dates of Sri Rama’s

birth as 7323 BC etc. The Valmiki Ramayana, in the very first Chapter of

Balakanda, verse 96, states that “Rama ruled for eleven thousand

years and then went to Brahmalokaâ€! Thus if Sri Rama was born in

7323 BC He will shed his mortal coil in about 4000 AD! (Maybe that is

why “Vedic Astrologers†with the help of ministers for

astrology are trying to usher in Rama Rajya since He must be waiting in

the wings for their assistance as Kaliyugi Ravanas must have usurped His

kingdom again! May be also that is why “Vedic Astrologyâ€

is going to be made a core subject in our universities--- to select the

proper muhurtas for His coronation! ) Then as per verse 11 of Chapter 20

of Balakanda, Dashratha says that he

> had been without a child for sixty thousand years! How do these

“Vedic Astrologers†reconcile such statements of the

Valmiki Ramayana with the date of birth of Sri Rama as 7323 BC? There

are quite a few reference of such type not only in the Ramayana but in

other Puranas also. If these verses are interpolations in the Valmiki

Ramayana then what is the guarantee that the planetary position of Sri

Rama’s birth in itself is not an interpolation? Or does it mean

that only such portions as do not suit the fancies of “Vedic

Astrologers†are interpolations and the rest are not? But then we

cannot have the cake and eat it as well!

> “Vedic Astrologers†themselves are at loggerheads:

> Â Â Â Â Â Dr. Vartak has been very persistent that his

calculations are most accurate and as late as August 2001 as per his

letter on Page 724 of the AM he has said, “I have fixed the date

of Sri Rama’s birth as 4th December 7323 BC and the date of

Mahabharata war as 16th October 5561 BC. Thus the difference between the

two events is 1762 years. Dwapara Yuga consists of 2000 years and so

matches my dates. Yugas in lakhs of years are used only for astronomical

calculations. Therefore they are known as Divya years. Div means sky. So

Divya years are to be used for astronomical calculations and not for

human years….The genealogy given in the Puranas does not show

8,64,000 years between Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. It shows only 1700

yearsâ€. B. V. Raman, supposed to be “greatest Vedic

Astrologer†had given the birth date of Shri Krishna as July 19,

3228 BC and the date of His departure to His eternal abode as February

18, 3102 BC.. Dr. Vartak,

> another “doyen among Vedic Astrologers†says Mahabharta

war started on October 16, 5561 BC. That means Mahabharata war started

even before Bhagwan Krishna was born! Then according to these very

“Vedic Astrologers†Kaliyuga started immediately on

“Bhagwan Krishen shuffling off his mortal coil†i.e.

February 18, 3102 BC. So Mahabharta war started before 2459 years of

Shri Krishna having passed away! By the same logic, there was a gap of

2459 years between the date of Mahabharta war and the advent of

Kaliyuga! Only “Vedic Astrologers†can tell us as to what

Yuga it was in between.

> “Vedic Astrologers†are making a laughing stock of

themselves:

>      “Pandit Vamadev Sastri†-- who

is also the President of “Amercina Council of Vedic

Astrologers†has said in March 1995 Astrological Magazine,

“Bhishma shed off his mortal coil in 1800 BC!†though in

the same article he also has calculated the date of beginning of

Kaliyuga as February 18, 3102 BC. Thus Bhishma died 1300 years after

Kaliyuga had started. Accordingly, as per the chronology of events fixed

by “Vedic Astrologers†themselves, a) â€Shri Ram was

born either on February 22 or December 4, 7323 BC and since as per the

same Ramayana as per which His ‘horoscope’ has been

prepared, He is bound to rule for eleven thousand years, He will shed

off his mortal coil in 4000 AD †" about two thousand years from

today! In the meantime, however, b) Mahabharata war started on October

16, 5561 BC (Shri Ram was still alive and ruling!) c) Dr. Raman has

“proved†through “Vedic Astrology†in his

“Notable Horoscopes†that

> Shri Krishen was born on July 19, 3228 BC (2300 years after

Mahabharata war had ended!) Thus He even passed away without witnessing

it! Shri Ram was (and is!) still alive, though! d) Kaliyuga started on

February 18, 3102 BC ---2400 years after Mahabharata war ended and when

it was still Rama Rajya though Shri Krishen had already passed away! e)

Bhishma died in 1800 BC †" thus he waited on his death bed of

arrows for 4700 years after Mahabharata war had ended and about 1300

years of Shri Krishen passing away and after an equal number of years of

Kaliyuga had gone by! Shri Ram was still ruling though! f) Shri Ram is

still alive (and maybe hiding somewhere lest He be asked by

“Vedic Astrologers†to reveal the secret of His having

survived 5000 years of Kaliyuga as these “astrologersâ€

want to outlive everybody to make “Vedic astrologyâ€

immortal!) As you have seen, all this “chronology†is just

to “establish†the “sovereign empireâ€

> of “Vedic Astrologyâ€. So long live the chronology fixed

by “Vedic Astrologers†and their “Vedic

Astrologyâ€

> Kaliyuga has a longer life than Dwapar Yuga:

> Â Â Â Â Â The question that begs an answer from these

“Vedic Astrologers†especially the

“Presidents†of their “Councils†is that as

everybody knows, Shri Rama was born in Tretayuga and Shri Krishen in

Dwapar Yuga. It means that Dwapar Yuga lasted only for a maximum number

of 7323 minus 3102 i.e. about 4200 years. However, as per

“Nirayana bible†viz “almightyâ€

Lahiri’s Ephemeris itself, Kali Era in 2004 is 5105! It means it

has already enjoyed a longevity of about one thousand years more than

Dwapara Yuga! I do not know whether to laugh or shed tears for such an

“omniscience†of these “Vedic Astrologersâ€.

But in fact the only thing we can do is to cry on such despondency that

these “Vedic Astrologers†have rendered us to because they

have hypnotized the ministers of Vedic Astrology and even the

Shankaracharyas who cannot see the writing on the wall.

> “Shortest day of the year†cannot be “a bit less

or more shorter than the shortest††" nor can “A

day=night†be “a bit less or more equal than equalâ€

> Â Â Â Â Â Now reverting to our original topic of

definitions of Uttaryana etc. when these nirayana-versus sayana

anomalies were brought to the notice of “Vedic

astrologers†some of them had said that it could be that

different interpretations were given to different criteria in the past

just as the Upanishads etc. have different “commentaries by

different acharyas subscribing to different viewpointsâ€. However,

it is fallacious to presume that anybody can interpret the definition of

Makara Sankranti/ Uttarayana as being a “bit less or more shorter

than the shortest†nor can anyone interpret

“day=night†as “a bit less or more equal than

equalâ€. In mathematics, if A=B and B=C then without any doubt

A=C. Similarly, if as per the Vedas, Puranas, and our sidhantas etc.,

Makar Sankranti is another name of Uttarayana it has to be the shortest

day of the year (Winter Solstice) and if Mesha/Tula Sankrantis are

equivalents of Vishuvas, then the

> days and nights have to be equal on such occasions †" Vernal and

Autumn Equinoxes. There can be no two opinions, much less

interpretations in such cases, since the scriptures as well as the

sidhantas themselves have laid down the criteria of such phenomena

unambiguously.

> “Sidereal zodiac†is a creation of “Vedic

astrologersâ€:

> Â Â Â Â Â If you consult any dictionary, you will find

the definition of “sidereal†as “pertaining to the

constellation or the fixed starsâ€. In any astronomical work,

whether sidhantic or modern, you will find the definitions of

“sidereal monthâ€, “sidereal timeâ€,

“sidereal year†and so on but you will not find any

“sidereal zodiac†listed anywhere. Similarly, you will

find the definition of tropical as “suggestive of

tropicsâ€. There is “Tropic of Cancer†and

“Tropic of Capricornâ€. Then there are definitions of

“tropical year†and “tropical month†but no

definition of a tropical zodiac anywhere in any book. It is not

difficult to guess the reason behind the “tropical†and

“sidereal†zodiacs being conspicuous by their absence

†" because the zodiac is just one! Even Lahiri’s Ephemeris

defines zodiac as â€An imaginary belt stretching about 9°

north and south of the ecliptic, within which the planets

> and the moon remain in course of their movementsâ€. So if the

“nirayana bible†itself declares zodiac to be just

“one imaginary beltâ€: how can it be said that there are

more than one zodiac - one tropical and the other sidereal, the latter

having hundreds of different dimensions - like Lahiri Zodiac, Ramana

zodiac and so on! No sane person in this world can therefore say that

the “zodiac starts from Revati†or “180°

opposite Chitra†or “from the point of sweet will of N. C.

Lahiri†or “from the point Dr. B. V. Raman desires it to

start†etc. etc. It is thus a non existent dichotomy, created by

“Vedic astrologers†to keep themselves in business.

> Nirayana zodiacs have thus actually killed our dharma:

> Â Â Â Â Â One shudders on seeing the consequences of

following such topsy-turvy nirayana zodiacs! Nowadays we are celebrating

Mahalaya (Pitra Amavasya) when actually it is Dipavali, like on October

6, 2002; Pongal/Makar Sankranti not on the day of Uttarayana i.e. around

December 21/22, when it should be celebrated as per the Vedas and other

scriptures, but around January14/15, since our “Vedic

astrologers†advise us to do so! We also celebrate marriages

during the actual Pitrapaksha like August 22 to September 6, 2002, and

Pitrapaksha when it is actually auspicious time for celebrating

marriages as per the Vedas like September 21 to October 6, 2002! Same is

the case with other festivals like Maha Shivratri, Navratras, both

Vasanti and Sharadiya (the names clearly indicate that they are related

to seasons!), Ramanavmi, Janmashatmi, Durga Puja, etc. etc. apart from

Sarvartha Sidhi Yogas and so on!

> Real Vedic astrology, if it exists at all, can never be based on

nirayana zodiacs:

> Â Â Â Â Â The million dollar question I would like to

put to all these “â€Vedic astrologers†is that even if

somehow by closing our eyes to all the evidence that there is no

predictive astrology in the Vedas, we agree for the sake of argument

that there really is Vedic astrology, then how come they are basing it

not on a seasonal year/zodiac --- which the Vedas advocate †" but

on other non-Vedic---thus anti-Vedic and imaginary--- hundreds of

zodiacs like Ramana, Lahiri, Kharegat, Fagan, Surya Sidhanta,

Grahalaghava, Revati, Chitra Rashichakra etc. etc. †" just to name

a few of them?

> “Vamadevas†should have informed us about our

celebrating festivals on wrong days:

> Â Â Â Â Â And the billion dollar question is as to why

do these “Vamadevas†and “Varahamihiras†not

tell our “ministers for astrologyâ€, who are eating out of

their hands, that India is suffering not because of her external enemies

but because Indian public in general (including the Budhists, the Jains

etc.) are being made to celebrate all the festivals and muhurtas on the

basis of wrong Rashichakras!

> His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka had declared more than

a 100 years back that sayana rashichakra alone was to be used for fairs,

festivals and muhurtas:

>      As per page 535 of “Bharatiya

Jyotish†by S. B. Dikshit, (Hindi translation by Publications

Division, UP), H H Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka, as per his edict

No. 229 of Shaka year 1815 (1894 AD) had declared in unequivocal terms,

“I find that the nirayana almanacs should be taken as extremely

doubtful, since they do not give the correct time for performing the

rites ordained by Shruti, Smriti and Puranas. As the sayana panchanga

gives the proper times, this Samsthan of the Jagadguru, declares that

the Sayana Panchanga should be regarded as a suitable almanac for

performing religious rites….â€.

> Gujarat is a burning example of bearing the fruit of celebrating

festivals on wrong days:

> Â Â Â Â Â Personally, I feel that Gujarat is having

maximum problems, both natural and man-made, because they are

celebrating Pitra Amavasya when they should be celebrating Dipavali ---

which is their Lunar New Year’s Day -- as per the Vedas e.g.

October 6, 2002! It would have been really wise for them to have gone by

the edict of H. H. Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka rather than by the

edict of overseas “Vamadevas†and local

“Parasharas†and “Varahamihirasâ€! (Proof of

pudding is in the eating, as some so called “Vedic

astrologers†are wont to say!)

> Kashmiri Pandits lost their homeland because of celebrating festivals

as per Vijayeshwar Jantri instead of the Vedas or Tantraloka etc.

> Â Â Â Â Â Same is the story of Kashmiri Pandits, who

believed more in Vijayeshwar Jantri †" based on Grahalaghava and

Makaranda -- rather than the Vedas, Shivamahapurana or Tantraloka!

Obviously you do not need enemies to ruin you if you have nirayana

Panchangamakers to advise you!

> Calendar Reform Committee never suggested a permanent nirayana

zodiac/calendar:

> Â Â Â Â Â Even the Report of the Calendar Reform

Committee, 1955, by which these “Vedic astrologers†swear

had unanimously resolved (pages 4 to 7) that the so called nirayana

rashichakra was to be adopted only for a very very short period and they

had hoped (not against hope) that in the near future our festivals would

be aligned to the relevant seasons in which they were celebrated in the

Vedic period and also that of Kalidasa! The late N. C. Lahiri, the

culprit number one for inventing Lahiri rashichakra, also had signed

that unanimous resolution!

> “Nirayana calendar makers are committing the entire Hindu

society to adharmaâ€:

> Â Â Â Â Â The Calendar Reform Committee, 1955, has

said on page 260 of its report, “In continuing to follow nirayana

system, the Hindu calendar makers are under delusion that they are

following the path of Dharma. They are actually committing the whole

Hindu society to Adharmaâ€.

> Matching of horoscopes a recent malady:

>      Then again, why do these “Vedic

astrologers†not inform the general public that the real

Vamadevas were not addicted to the fad of “matching of

horoscopes†as otherwise they would never have been able to

marry! For that matter, why do they not tell us that there is no mention

of such a malady in any of the scriptures or epics, nor in any of their

so called “Vedic astrology†text books like Brihat

Parashari or Mansagari etc.! Obviously, it is a fad (for fleecing the

gullible!) being used only for the last about a century or so, since

even Alberuni has not referred to it in his travelogue at all. If anyone

says that he has seen some mention of such a “malady†in

any scripture, he is taking us for a ride and I challenge him to quote

the relevant chapter and verse of that scripture or epic.

> Rashtriya Panchanga makers themselves are now “committing the

entire Hindu society to Adharmaâ€

> Â Â Â Â Â I had sent personal letters, by registered

post, to the publishers of our Rashtriya Panchanga viz. Director General

of Meteorology, New Delhi and also Director, Positional Astronomy

Centre, Calcutta, apart from the Chairman, University Grants Commission,

New Delhi and Chief Secretary of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi --

with copies to ministers for astrology, even the Prime Minister and the

Home Minister --- nay even all the six Shankaracharyas---informing them

about this sad plight-- but to no use! (If you so desire, copies of

those letters can be sent to you also)

> Dasha Bhuktis are concoctions of the worst order:

> Â Â Â Â Â As a Vedic Hindu, I have every right to know

from these “Vedic astrologers†that if they are really

interested in propagating the real “Vedic predictive

astrologyâ€, (though there is no such astrology at all in the

Vedas) then why do they not proclaim to the whole world that since

tropical rashichakra has its moorings in the Vedas it is a product of

India and not an original system of either Babylon or Arabia --- much

less that of Western countries, who are still “teethingâ€

in astrology. “Pandit Vamadeva Sastri†should have been

the “forerunner†of this “marathon race†if

he wanted to propagate the real Vedic astrology, instead of propagating

irrelevant, illogical and self-contradictory systems of Dasha Bhuktis

†" Vimshotari, Ashtotatri, Yogini, Kalachakra, Manduka, Pluta and

so on and so forth! None of these Dashas has been referred to in Brihat

Jatakam of Varahamihira (5th century AD) -- the only original document

of

> predictive astrology available today in its original form, nor does

its commentator Bhatotpala (7th century AD) throw any light on them.

Surprisingly, Alberuni does not refer to any such Dasha Bhuktis either

though he has devoted several chapters to Indian predictive astrology in

his travelogues. Evidently, these Dasha-Bhuktis are a product of a much

later date --- a concoction of the worst order being peddled as Vedic

astrology!

> Varahamihira refers to many Greek words in his Brihat Jatakam etc.:

> Â Â Â Â Â It is surprising that we find, on the other

hand, words like Sunapha, Anapha, Durdhura, Kemadruma etc. in Brihat

Jatakam! These are not of Indian origin at all. Similarly, the names of

rashis given by him have a Greek “stamp†on them on

several occasions. He has also paid fulsome homage to Greek (yavana)

astrologers in his works! It is therefore just possible that Dasha

Bhuktis, as adumberated by Varahamihira, were of Greek origin. He has

referred to Parashara as an astrologer also but he has not quoted

anything from his work and it is also doubtful whether it is the same

Parashara of Vishnu Purana he is talking about or it is some other

astrologer of Parashara Gotra. It is also possible that

Parashara’s book was not available even in 5th century AD. Its

non-availability has been confirmed by Bhatotpala (7th century AD) in

his commentary on Brihat Jatakam. That also should be an eye opener to

the readers that the half a dozen versions of

> Parasharis available in the market these days are concoctions of the

worst order. “manufactured†by “Vedic

Astrologers†just for fleecing the gullible. Tazika Nilakanthi

contains all the material relevant only to “western

aspects†like Itshal, mutshil etc. It is the only original work

available on annual horoscopy in India. Euphemistically, it is called

“Progressed†horoscope in “Indian†English!

It has been adopted in toto with the only difference that here also,

quite contrary to the original works of annual horoscopy,

“Ayanamsha tonsure†to the longitudes is being advocated

by “Vedic Astrologersâ€!

> Being non-existent, nirayana zodiacs are the worst figments of

imagination:

>      Why also do these “Vedic

astrologers†not tell the general public, who have become

mesmerized by their gimmicks, that the hundreds of so called nirayana

zodiacs are completely useless for any kind of predictive astrology as

well not to speak of preparing a panchanga, e.g.., to calculate sunrise,

moonrise, eclipses or rising and setting of planets etc. etc. we need

declinations of the sun, moon and planets ---which can never be obtained

by dint of Lahiri, Raman, Fagan or Kharegat or any other nirayana

planetary longitudes --- but only through the tropical ones. Similarly,

even to calculate their own birth charts these “Vedic

astrologers†need RAMC and ascensional difference etc. which can

be obtained only through sayana longitudes! Even to decide heliacal

rising or setting (“Guru-Shukra astâ€) of planets for

fixing suitable timings for marriages, tonsure etc. we need tropical

longitudes! So zero cheers for the non-existent and

> therefore useless and hopeless “nirayana zodiacsâ€.

> To admit existence of nirayana zodiacs is to betray one’s

ignorance of the highest order:

> Â Â Â Â Â What is most surprising is as to how our

ministers for astrology, who were also ministers for science, were

“digesting†this most bizarre and unscientific

“truth†that the nirayana and sayana zodiacs

“coincided†sometime in the past! They seemed to be so

hypnotized by these “Vedic astrologers†that they just

forgot that there can be one and only one zodiac in the universe. All

the sidhantas also refer to just one “Bhachakra†---

zodiac! Therefore, to say that there are more than one zodiac is to

betray one’s ignorance of the highest order!

> “Vested interests†are deliberately avoiding to take the

bull by the horn:

> Â Â Â Â Â I must put on record that right from 1997

onwards I have been bringing all these glaring anomalies to the notice

of all the “Vedic astrologers†besides our ministers and

deputy ministers for astrology apart from all the six revered

Shankaracharyas, through my annual SHRI KRISHEN UNIVERSAL EPHEMERIS AND

PANCHANGA. Registered letters were also sent to most of the ministers

and all the six Shankaracharyas, besides the Chairman, UGC, etc. but

there was no response. It means that if in spite of being aware of all

these fundamental anachronisms between the real Vedic i.e. sayana

astronomy/astrology and the so called “Vedic astrologyâ€

based on hundreds of non-existent nirayana Rashichakras and

Dasha-Bhuktis etc. these “Vedic astrologers†do not

enlighten the general public about the same, they must certainly have

some “private†axe to grind -- “vested

interests†in other words!

> The only Vedic country is using all the non-Vedic zodiacs and

calendars whereas all others are using the actual Vedic i.e. Sayana

zodiac and calendars:

> Â Â Â Â Â Because of these vested interests alone,

these “Vedic astrologers†have singled out the only Vedic

country for making her embrace hundreds of non-Vedic (nirayana)

Rashichakras (and therefore calendars), leaving the real Vedic

Rashichakras (tropical zodiac and thus the seasonal calendar) for all

the other “non-Vedic†countries of the world!

> We have progressed by leaps and bounds only in “Vedic

astrology†but not in astronomy:

> Â Â Â Â Â We got freedom from the alien rule in 1947

-- and if we make an impartial survey of all the departments in which we

have progressed, “Vedic astrology†will outshine all the

others put together. There are now thousands of magazines in every nook

and corner of the country in every dialect on this subject.

“Vedic astrologers†today outnumber their clients --- they

are more than even the doctors, Vaidyas, homeopaths and quacks put

together.! Almost every day, a dozen “research works†are

published on this “divine†subject. Every politician

and/or criminal is a “Vedic astrologerâ€! Ninety per cent

of these “Vedic astrologers†use Lahiri’s Ephemeris

or some other “Chitra Paksha Panchaga†or

“Jantri†etc. All those panchangas acknowledge in one form

or the other, “We express our thanks to India Meteorological

Deptt.. for kindly supplying us the data used in this ephemerisâ€.

In turn, the Director General of India

> Meteorological Department has obsequiously to admit in the

“Indian Astronomical Ephemeris†and Rashtriya Panchanga

year after year, “Our sincere thanks are due to the

Superintendent, British Nautical Almanac Office, the Directors of the

Nautical Almanac Offices of U. S. A. and of the Astronomisches Rechen

Institue, Heidelberg for the data furnished by themâ€. Mind you,

all these countries supplying the data are non-Vedic! Ironically, our

minister of astrology was also the minister of science, under whom the

India Meteorological Deptt. Works. One wonders why he did not consult

its birth chart! Even otherwise, the “most prestigious

astrological magazine†---- the “propagator number

one†of “Vedic astrology†from India also gets its

astronomical data every month in a computer printed form from

“Educational Sciences Corporation of Americaâ€---a

non-Vedic country!

> Astrology based on “Non-Vedic†data is

“Vedicâ€!

>      So long live the “divine

works†on Indian astronomy viz. the Vedanga Jyotisha, Surya

Sidhanta and Aryabhati etc. which have been “shelved†by

these “Vedic astrologers†for eternity to rest in peace!

No less ironically, the astrology based on these very data --- which are

“sayanaâ€, of course, from the “upstarts of

yesteryears†is termed as “Vedic†--- anything that

touches the “alchemic†hands of “Vedic

astrologers†becomes Vedic! Even “Pandit Vamadeva

Sastriâ€, the non-Indian “Vedic astrologerâ€, is no

exception as he also uses the astronomical data from non-Vedic

observatories!

> A “win-win†situation for “Vedic

astrologersâ€:

> Â Â Â Â Â The implications of all this assessment boil

down to: i) Even if someone does not know the names of the Vedas

properly, (ii) Even if he does not know ABC of Sanskrit language; (iii)

Even if he is a criminal convicted of all the heinous crimes listed in

any Criminal Code in the world, but if he has read a few books on

“Vedic astrology†and preferably “obtainedâ€

some “diploma†or “degree†from any of the

hundreds of the “deemed to be universities†of

“Vedic astrology†--- he is a “Vedic

astrologer†and by implication --- a Vedic scholar! He is also

“licensed†to fleece the public! No other

“discipline†of education bestows so many honours and

gifts for so little!

> Propagating and practicing the so called “Vedic

astrology†is a criminal offence under The Consumer Protection

Act:

> Â Â Â Â Â Be that as it may, as we have seen, there is

absolutely no predictive astrology in the Vedas, at least not the

systems based on hundreds of the so called nirayana zodiacs and an equal

number of Dasha-Bhuktis. Therefore, presenting such a system of

predictions as “Vedic astrology†is a criminal offence

under the Consumer Protection Act as it is a misrepresentation of the

facts to the clients and the general public.

> Nirayana rashichakras are an insult to the Vedas and other shastras:

> Â Â Â Â Â Initially, I could not

“digest†the high praise bestowed by our shastras on

performing rituals at (Sayana) Sankrantis especially those of Ayanas and

Vishuvas. But later I found that our Rishis were the greatest scientists

--- without any “observatories†at their disposal!

Astronomically, the Equinoxes (and even the Solstices!) are

“moving†because of Precession of Equinoxes. The earth is

hurtling in its orbit around the sun and so is the ecliptic †"

though the speed of the ecliptic is quite small! The

“nanoseconds†of the “conflux--Triveni†of

these three “wandering bodies†are known as

Vishuvas†" Equinoxes! Similarly, the earth, after having attained

the maximum Declination of North (on Uttarayana---Winter Solstice) or

South (on Dakshinayana †" Summer Solstice) has to

“halt†for a “moment†before “turning

backâ€! All these “instants†are fleeting moments

†" lasting hardly for milli/nano-seconds! And

> that is why our Rishis said that it was almost impossible even for the

Yogis to “catch hold of†such “fleeting

momentsâ€! Exactly for the same reason, on the other hand,

celebrating Makar Sankranti these days on January 14/15 is thus without

any logic, rhyme or reason or sidhantic or astronomical support †"

and least of all as advised by our Shastras because there is no

“conflux†or “halting†of the earth on such

artificial Sankrantis despite innumerable “Ayanamshaâ€

props! And the so called “Vedic astrology†is based on

these very imaginary Rashichakras! Nirayana Rashichakras are thus an

insult to the Vedas and other shastras.

> Sayana Rashichakra is the only way to preserve the real national

integration even among Hindus who are otherwise fighting among

themselves like Kilkenny-cats about the accuracy of their

“personal Ayanamshasâ€.

> Â Â Â Â Â These days we are following at least half a

dozen Ayanamsha in India viz. Lahiri, (Rashtriya Panchanga etc. ),

Chitra , Ramana (Raman’s Panchangas), Revati (Tilak Panchanga),

Grahalaghava (Mani Ram’s Panchanga and Brahman Mahamandal

Panchanchang) and Surya Sidhanta (Kashi Vishva Panchanga of Benaras

Hindu University). All are adamant that their own Ayanamsha is the most

scientific and shastric. However, they cannot adduce any proof to

substantiate their arguments. On the other hand, there is always a lot

of confusion about such festivals also like Makara Sankranti, Kumbha

Mela, Adhikamasa etc. e.g. in 2001 there was no Adhika masa as per

Tilaka Panchanga or Ramana Panchanga/Ephemeris but as per Lahiri

Panchagas there was an adhika Ashvina masa! The only logical and

reasonable way to eliminate such a confusion is that we must adopt

Sayana Rashichakra for all our festivals and fairs etc. since it is the

only one sanctioned by all the Vedas,

> Puranas, Shastras and sidhantas also.

> “Vedic astrology†must be re-christened as

“Kaliyugi Jyotishâ€

>      If these “Vedic astrologersâ€

do not wake up to the situation even after reading this “Open

Page†the only option we are left with is to re-christen the so

called “Vedic astrology†as Kaliyugi Jyotish and all such

“Vedic astrologers†as Kaliyugi Jyotishis as they are

taking us for a ride deliberately.

> Topocentric versus geocentric:

> Â Â Â Â Â The parting shot is that there is another

anachronism going on in Indian Panchangas †" topocentric versus

geocentric longitudes of planets, especially the moon. Raphael’s

Ephemeris had been hammering this point for the last several years and

now even the “nirayana bible†viz. Lahiri’s

Ephemeris for 2002 had to admit on page 5, “The longitudes are

apparent geocentric positions as seen from the centre of the earth. The

topocentric positions i.e. the positions as seen by an observer at any

specified point of the earth’s surface, slightly differ from the

geocentric position, being 9 arc seconds for Sun, 62 arc minutes for

Moon and 1 arc minute for planets.†Topocentric actually means

longitudes for the concerned place e.g. Delhi where this article is

being prepared, after making corrections for horizontal parallax.

Geocentric, on the other hand, means longitudes for a non-existent

imaginary place --- the “bowels†of the earth---

> where temperatures range between 5000° and 7000° Celsius. The

former is sanctioned and recommended even by our sidhantas and modern

astronomy whereas the latter is adopted only by “Vedic

astrologers†for calculating Dasha Bhuktis (thus making

“correct predictions†from incorrect data!) and matching

of horoscopes etc. besides working out tithi, nakshatra etc. from those

very longitudes prepared for a non-existent place. We shall touch that

“raw nerve†of Indian panchangas and Indian astrology in

detail some other time in some other write up.

> I will be glad to furnish any further clarifications via my email

address:vedic Keeping in view all the anachronisms listed in this

article, an All India Calendar Reform Committee was formed. It is going

to be registered shortly. It is an open invitation to all the Biradari

to join the same and be the beacon-lights for the community. Details of

the same are given in the end of this article.

>

> Avtar Krishen Kaul

> Publisher

> Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang

> H No. 5, MIG, 00-A, Sector 2

> Avantika, Rohini

> Delhi-110085

> Ph. 27516483

> Email: jyotirved

>

> Om Tat Sat Brahmarpanam Astu

> All India Calendar Reform Committee

> H. No.5, 00-A, Sector-2, Avantika, Rohini, Delhi-110085

>

> ________________________________

>

>

> To start with, the following will be the main activities of this

committee as on Dec. 1, 2003:

> 1. Â Â It will strive for streamlining the Hindu calendar as per

the canons of the Vedas, Puranas and Dharmashastras besides Sidhantas

and modern astronomy, which are that all the religious festivals and

Muhurtas etc. have to be aligned to the respective seasons and hence

instead of an imaginary “sidereal zodiac†only tropical

years and months, coupled with respective synodic/lunar months are to be

followed.

> 2.   The “nakshatra-chakra†of 27 equal

nakshatras will also be aligned accordingly i.e. Ashvini nakshatra will

be deemed to start from Vernal Equinox, as was done in Munjala’s

and Alberun’s time i.e. in 11th century.

> 3. Â Â Solar year will start from the ingress of the sun into

Mesha †" i.e. Vernal Equinox and will be known as Madhava and/or

Vaishakha. The Vasanti lunar year will start on the Shukla Pratipat

after the start of Vasanta Ritu i.e. the transit of the sun into

(Sayana) Mina Rashi. All other festivals will follow accordingly in that

order. Ayanas and Vishuvas †" Solstices and Equinoxes--will be the

four cardinal points of the rashichakra.

> 4.  Only topocentric tithis, nakshatras etc., besides (at

least) lunar longitudes, will be used for deciding the fairs and

festivals since geocentric phenomena are for an imaginary location

instead of some real one.

> Â Â Â Â Â Following are the members of this committee

as on date:1) Patron: Dr. Rahimal Prasad Tiwari, Bhattapara, PIN-493118,

Dist. Raipur (Chhatisgarh); 2) President: Avtar Krishen Kaul (address as

given in this letterhead); 3) Vice-President †" North †" Pt.

Bholadatt Mahtolia, B/896, Avas Vikas (Udam Singh Nagar), Dist.

Rudrapur, PIN-163153 (Uttaranchal); 4)

Vice-President†" Central†" Shri Madhu Gadakari. 1, Utalsar,

Thane-400601 (Maharashtra); 5) General Secretary: Shri Darshaneya

Lokesh, 74-C, Double Storey, Locoshed, Moradabad-244001 (UP); 6)

Secretary: Shri Sanjay Kumar Mehta, Jale Hat, Jale, Darbhanga,

PIN-847302 (Bihar)

>

> OM TATSAT BRAHMARPANAM ASTU

> N.B. The festivals that have been enjoined by the Shastras are given

above. Surprisingly, quite a few " Jyotishis " are still hypnotized by a

non-existent “nirayana Lahiri†Rashichakra and also as the

" majority of (Kaliyugi!) Panchangakars and Jyotishis†had

proposed it to the " Calendar Reform Committee " in 1955, they had, much

against their wishes, " endorsed " that very " Lahiri " Rashichakra for

deciding fairs etc. though they had made it very clear that it was only

" as a very temporary measure " . However, thanks to the " untiring efforts "

of these " Kaliyugi Jyotishis " nobody has cared to implement the real

recommendations of that very Committee with the result that the same

" nirayana Rashichakra " is being used for fixing important Hindu

festivals. Therefore, " Goverment holidays " are also being decided by the

Rashtriya Panchanga etc. on the basis of that very non-existent

Rashichakra. The real Vedic festivals have been decided as follows

>

> 1.  Vernal Equinox has been taken as the start of the Vedic

month Madhava ( Sayana Mesha Sankranti). and also the beginning of the

solar year, starting from Vaishakha. All the other Sayana Sankrantis

have been named as per subsequent Rashis e.g. Vrisha, Mithuna Sankranti.

etc. (In fact, Rashtriya Panchanga also is showing Sayana Sankrantis as

Vedic!)

> 2Â Â . Names of solar months in vogue in India have been given

simultaneously with their Vedic names e.g. " Madhav, Mesha, Vaishakh,

Sankra. " means it is Madhava, i.e. Sayana Mesha Sankranti which is the

beginning of the solar month known as (solar) Vaishakha and Meshadi etc.

These dates are for observing fasts etc. and may sometimes be plus/minus

one day from the actual sankranti.

> 3.  Lunar months have been named as per preceding solar

Sayana Sankranti since that is what has been ordained by all the

shastras which say that Vaishakha is another name of

Madhava†" Vernal Equinox--and so on (Vishnudharmottara Purana etc).

In the case of Lahiri lunar months they are neither as per the shastras

nor as per Sidhantas nor modern astronomy -- but only decreed by

“almighty†Lahiri and Lahiriwalas and followed blindly by

all the Kaliyugi Jyotishis so that they do not lose their crumbs. It is

obvious that these Kaliyugi Jyotishis are leading us towards darkness of

adharma just for the filth of lucre.

> 5.  All the festivals and fairs have been determined as per

the prevailing criteria e.g. Vasanti Navaratras have been fixed as per

the criterion " Chaitra Shukla Pratipat " with the only difference that

Sayana Lunar Chaitra has followed Sayana solar Chaitra viz. transit of

the sun into Sayana (and not the non-existent nirayana†" Lahiri)

Mina Rashi.

> 6. Â Â Lunar months have been named on Purnimanta pattern i.e.

starting with Krishna Paksha as is done in Northern India, UP, Bihar ,

Orissa etc. In other areas like Maharashtra , South India etc. Krishna

Paksha has to be changed to earlier month, e.g. Magha Kri. Paks. means

Pausha Krishna Paksha in such areas and so on. The beginning dates of

lunar Shukla & Krishna. Paksha are meant for “Sankalpaâ€

etc. Only Sayana topocentric tithi, nakshatras etc. for Delhi have been

used while determining these festivals etc.

> 7. Â Â Intervening fasts etc. not given in this list, can be

determined by the readers easily.

> 8.  As per Muhurta-shastras, real and not

“Lahiri†Dhanurmas, Kharmas, Adhika/Kshyayamas,

Pitra-paksha etc. are to be avoided in auspicious ceremonies like

marriage, tonsure etc.

> Â

> N.B. Just to increase the sales of his English/ Bengali ephemeris /

Panchangas, an imaginary Rashichakra was invented by late N. C. Lahiri

which was nearer to Grahalaghava in 1940s All other

“Jyotishis†followed him like “blind following

blind " . Such " Lahiri festivals†are enjoy government holidays

whereas there are no such holidays for the real Vedic fairs which it

should actually be. Same is also the case with all the Muhurtas etc.

E.g. Kharmas is actually from Feb 21 to March 20 and Dhanurmas from

Nov.21 to Dec. 21 every year but our Kaliyugi Panchangakars & Jyotishis

decide them as per their own whims to boost the sales of their

Panchangas & ephemeris etc. Surprisinbgly there is no adhikamasa as per

Surya Sidhanta,Grahalaghava,Tilaka or Ramana Panchanga etc in 2004 but

only as per Lahir Rashichakra, which even our “Rashtriya

Panchanga†and its ilk follows! What is reprehensible is that

instead of the real Vaishakha Mala- masa, these

> Lahiriwalas are prescribing Shravana adhikamas which will result in

all the festivals becoming topsy-turvy! Better beware!

> Â

> ________________________________

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